Hong Kong Trial Of Pro-Democracy Businessman Jimmy Lai Delayed Over Health Issues

Hong Kong, August 15 (Reuters) – In a national security case against pro -democracy businessman Jimmy Lai, a pro -Hong Kong, the closing presentations were postponed on Friday after his lawyer said he had suffered heart palpitations.

Closing presentations will be recommended on Monday after the court’s postponing the 77 -year -old LaI to allow the drug and heart monitor. Lai founded the Apple Daily newspaper, which was forced to close after a police raid and being freezing in June 2021, and was not found guilty of two conspiracy charges to cover it with foreign powers and for a conspiracy charges to publish seductive materials.

His lawyer Robert Pang told the court that Lai had some sections he felt like “collapse, and that he accepted the suggestions by a visited medical expert, but the arrangements were made.

One of the judges, Esther Toh, said, “He didn’t take the medicine recommended by the expert or the monitor, so I’m a little worried.”

Lai, an British citizen, has been under cell imprisonment for more than 1,700 days and expressed his concerns about his previous health, his son.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau told the court that a medical team was waiting in court and that the drug and heart monitor will be provided before the hearing suggestions on Monday. Some Western governments, including the United States, called for the immediate release of LAI and said that the hearing was politically motivated under a national security pressure in the financial center managed by China. Hong Kong and Chinese officials said that Lai had been given a fair trial and condemned foreign governments for involving internal affairs. US President Donald Trump said in a media interview on Thursday that he would do everything I can to save him ”.

Diplomats from at least seven countries attended the hearing and closing presentations are expected to take eight days. Later, the three judges are expected to be deliberate for several months before making a decision – five years after Lai’s first arrest in August 2020.

Lai came to court on Friday wearing a white windproof jacket and smiled and shook it to his family and supporters – some of them lined up for hours to buy tickets to the packaged courtroom.

The National Security Case began in December 2023. In the witness box, Lai said he defended free speech and claimed that he had lobbyed the US to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China.

(Editing by Greg Torode and Saad Sayeed)