Hong Kong tycoon found guilty in landmark national security case

Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner and media mogul Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of colluding with foreign forces under the city’s controversial national security law (NSL).

The 78-year-old man, who has been in prison since December 2020, did not admit his guilt. The man, who faces a life sentence, is expected to be sentenced at the beginning of next year.

Lai used the now-defunct Apple Daily as part of a broader effort The court concluded that he lobbied foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China.

Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee, welcomed the decision, stating that Lai’s actions were “harmful to the country’s interests and the well-being of Hongkongers”, but rights groups called it a “brutal judicial farce”.

They say the NSL, which Beijing argues is necessary for the city’s stability, is being used to crush dissent.

Judge Esther Toh said on Monday that there is “no doubt” that Jimmy Lai “has hatred” for the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and that he “has repeatedly called on the United States to help overthrow the Chinese government under the pretext of helping the people of Hong Kong.”

When Lai testified in November, he denied all accusations against him, saying he had “never” used his foreign connections to influence Hong Kong’s foreign policy.

When asked about his meeting with then-US Vice President Mike Pence, Lai said that he did not ask him anything: “When he asked me, I would only tell him what happened in Hong Kong.”

He was also asked about his conversation with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, in which he said he asked Pompeo to “not do something, say something, support Hong Kong.”

Lai, a UK citizen and one of the harshest critics of the Chinese state, was a key figure in the pro-democracy protests that gripped Hong Kong in 2019. Beijing responded to months of demonstrations that sometimes erupted into violent clashes with police by introducing the NSL.

The law was passed without consulting Hong Kong’s legislature and gave authorities broad powers to charge and imprison anyone they deemed a threat to the city’s law and order or the stability of the government.

Lai was accused of violating the NSL for his role in the protests and also through Apple Daily, the tabloid that has become the standard bearer of the pro-democracy movement.

Monday’s ruling also found Lai guilty of publishing inflammatory material on Apple Daily under a separate colonial-era law.

Lai appeared calm as the verdict was read and waved to his family as he was led out of the courtroom. Lai’s wife, Teresa, and one of their sons were at court, along with his longtime friend Cardinal Joseph Zen, who baptized Lai in 1997.

“Mr. Lai is in good spirits,” his lawyer Robert Pang said after the verdict. “The decision is so long that we will need some time to review it first. I have nothing to add at this time.” He did not say whether they would object.

The United Kingdom condemned what it described as “politically motivated persecution” of Lai and said Lai was “targeted for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression.”

“The United Kingdom has repeatedly called for the repeal of the National Security Act and an end to the prosecution of all persons charged under it,” the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement on Monday. he said.

“The Chinese government abused Jimmy Lai in an attempt to silence anyone who dared to criticize the CCP [Chinese Communist Party]Following the decision, Human Rights Watch Asia Director Elaine Pearson said:

“Faced with the absurdity of Jimmy Lai’s trial, governments should pressure authorities to drop the case and release him immediately.”

Western governments, including Britain and the United States, have called for Lai’s release for years, but Beijing and Hong Kong have rejected it.

US President Donald Trump previously promised to “do everything to save” Lai, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said ensuring Lai’s release was a “priority”.

Lai’s case has been seen as another test of judicial independence for Hong Kong’s courts, which have been accused of toeing Beijing’s line since 2019 when Beijing tightened its control over the city.

Hong Kong authorities insist the rule of law is intact, but critics point to the hundreds of protesters and activists jailed under the NSL and a nearly 100% conviction rate as of May this year.

Bail is also frequently denied in NSL cases, and that was the case for Lai, although human rights groups and Lai’s children voiced concerns about his deteriorating health. It was stated that he was kept in a solitary cell.

Lai’s son Sebastien told the BBC earlier this year that his father’s “body was falling apart”: “Given his age and health… he will die in prison.”

The Hong Kong government has also been criticized for banning foreign lawyers from working on NSL cases without prior permission. They said it was a national security risk, even though foreign lawyers had practiced in the city’s courts for decades. Lai was subsequently denied the choice of a UK-based lawyer.

Lai now joins dozens of figures from the city’s pro-democracy movement who have been sentenced to prison under the NSL.

Hong Kong’s national security police chief addressed the media after the decision, saying Lai was making “fabricated news” in pursuit of “political goals”.

On the mainland, the state-run Global Times quoted a Hong Kong election committee member as saying the case sent a “clear message”: “Any attempt to divide the country or undermine Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability will be met with severe penalties under the law.”

Born in mainland China, Lai escaped to Hong Kong when he was 12 and laid his groundwork as a businessman after founding international clothing brand Giordano.

His journey as a democracy activist began when China brutally suppressed pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Lai began writing columns critical of the massacre and continued to publish a number of popular pro-democracy publications, including Apple Daily and Next.

Even now, many Hong Kongers see him as the leading voice of democracy; About 80 people lined up to enter the court ahead of the verdict on Monday.

One of them was Ms. Lam, who did not want to share her full name. With an apple in hand, he said he started lining up around 11 a.m. local time on Sunday, almost a full day before the session, because dozens of people had arrived before him. He said it was a cold night, but he did it because he wanted to wish Lai good luck.

A former Apple Daily journalist who appeared in court told the BBC: “We all feel frustrated and powerless. But there must be an end to this whole problem, and the time will come.”

“Jimmy always said he was indebted to Hong Kong… but I think Hong Kong and most Hongkongers are very grateful for his promotion of core values, goodwill and integrity for society at the expense of their well-being and personal freedom.”

In his statement, Lai said his newspaper’s staff “never allowed” him to advocate for Hong Kong’s independence, describing it as a “conspiracy” and “too crazy to think about”.

“Apple Daily’s core values ​​are actually the core values ​​of the Hong Kong people,” he said. These values ​​include “the rule of law, freedom, the pursuit of democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly.”