HONG KONG
Prominent newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai is set to testify in his own defense during the landmark national security trial against him, a defense lawyer announced July 25.
The trial is being conducted under a Beijing-imposed law that has severely curtailed public dissent in Hong Kong.
Lai, 76, founded the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper and was arrested in 2020 during a crackdown on mass pro-democracy protests in 2019. He faces charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to publish seditious materials. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment.
Lai’s lawyer, Robert Pang, argued on July 24 that the prosecution’s evidence was insufficient to warrant a case. He contended that the prosecution had not proven Lai’s intent to commit any crimes following the enactment of the 2020 law and emphasized the importance of freedom of speech.
However, judges Esther Toh, Susana D’Almada Remedios, and Alex Lee, who were appointed by the government to oversee the case, ruled that there was enough evidence for the trial to proceed. “Having considered all the submissions, we ruled that the first defendant has a case to answer on all charges,” said Judge Toh.
Following the ruling, Pang confirmed that Lai would testify in his defense when the trial resumes on November 20.
Lai’s case is viewed by many as a crucial test of press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong. Since the handover of Hong Kong from Britain to China in 1997, the city was supposed to retain its Western-style civil liberties, including press freedom, for 50 years. However, these freedoms have significantly diminished since the introduction of the 2020 national security law.
Prosecutors allege that Lai sought foreign intervention, particularly from the United States, to take action against Beijing under the pretense of advocating for freedom and democracy.
They highlighted Lai’s meetings with former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and other U.S. officials in July 2019, during which they discussed a controversial extradition bill that sparked widespread protests.
In 2022, six former executives of Apple Daily pleaded guilty to charges related to collusion and admitted to conspiring with Lai to call for sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese leaders. These individuals, along with two other guilty parties, have testified as witnesses for the prosecution.
Once considered a hub of media freedom in Asia, Hong Kong now ranks 135th out of 180 countries and territories in the latest World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders.
