Media tycoon is probably the most distinguished particular person to face trial below the legislation imposed by China in 2020.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has pleaded not responsible to all prices in his closely-watched trial below the territory’s nationwide safety legislation that would see him jailed for all times.
Lai, 76, has been in jail since December 2020 and faces two counts of “conspiracy to collude with international forces” below the China-imposed safety legislation in addition to “conspiracy to publish seditious publications” below a colonial-era sedition legislation.
His trial was delayed by a yr – after the Hong Kong authorities questioned his alternative of lawyer – looking for Beijing’s intervention – and lastly bought below means in December.
The founding father of the now-defunct Apple Day by day newspaper is considered one of Beijing’s most vocal critics and has already been convicted on lesser prices associated to the administration of the media agency and his involvement in a vigil to mark the 1989 Tiananmen Sq. bloodbath.
“Not responsible,” Lai responded in English as every of the three prices was learn out.
Carrying a white shirt and a navy blue jacket, Lai was surrounded by three jail guards within the defendant’s dock.
He wore headphones to assist him hear the trial extra clearly, in line with his lawyer.
Different defendants within the case embrace three Apple Day by day corporations which were taken over by the Hong Kong authorities, six former executives of the newspaper and two younger activists associated to an advocacy group referred to as Stand With Hong Kong Struggle For Freedom (SWHK).
Beijing imposed the broadly-worded nationwide safety legislation in June 2020, saying it was mandatory to revive stability following the mass protests the earlier yr, which started amid common opposition to a plan for an extradition invoice with the mainland.
Amnesty has stated the legislation has “decimated” Hong Kong’s freedoms and lots of pro-democracy politicians and activists have left the territory.
The US and the UK have referred to as for Lai’s instant launch and raised issues about whether or not he’ll obtain a good trial. Lai can be a UK citizen.
“This case is a few radical political determine… who conspired with others to carry into hatred and fire up opposition to the federal government of ([Hong Kong] and the central authorities and to collude with international international locations or exterior components to hazard nationwide safety,” lead prosecutor Anthony Chau advised the court docket on Tuesday.
Chau labelled Lai “the mastermind” who used his media enterprise “as a platform to pursue his political agenda… and orchestrated a conspiracy with the so-called democracy and freedom advocacy group Stand with Hong Kong Struggle for Freedom”.
The prosecution cited 161 publications of Apple Day by day between April 2019 and the newspaper’s final day in June 2021 as “examples of seditious publications… with a view to polluting the minds of the impressionable ones”.
Lai was additionally accused of offering directions and monetary assist for SWHK to foyer international international locations for sanctions, together with the US, UK, Australia, Japan and Portugal.
The trial is being heard by three specially-selected safety legislation judges and there’s no jury.
It’s scheduled to proceed for 80 days till March subsequent yr.