Hong Kong’s most prominent activist publisher, 76-year-old Jimmy Lai, is set to face trial on Monday after a delay of over a year. Lai, a key figure in the city’s media landscape for three decades, now faces potential life imprisonment under Beijing’s national security law imposed after the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
Lai’s trial is closely watched as a litmus test for press freedom and judicial independence in the former British colony, which was promised 50 years of Western-style civil liberties after its return to Chinese rule in 1997.
Charged with colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring to publish seditious publications, Lai’s case is linked to the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily that he founded. The paper was forced to shut down in June 2021, with Lai already serving a term of five years and nine months on fraud charges related to lease violations in a separate case.
During the 2019 protests, Lai’s high profile made him a target, particularly after meeting with then-Vice President Mike Pence and U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to discuss the controversial extradition bill. Lai openly criticized the national security law, stating that the city he once knew “is dead.”
The trial, Hong Kong’s first on charges of collusion with foreign forces, has faced criticism. Lai’s lawyer, Robert Pang, highlighted concerns about the lack of transparency in the appointment of judges, potentially affecting public confidence in the judiciary.
The trial’s original December 2022 start was postponed as the Hong Kong government appealed to Beijing to block Lai’s attempt to hire a British defense lawyer. The judges later proposed a further delay in August.
Lai’s son, Sebastien, who met with Britain’s foreign secretary to seek assistance for his father, expressed concerns about the trial’s fairness. Despite holding British citizenship, Jimmy Lai has been labeled by China’s Foreign Ministry as “one of the most notorious anti-China elements.”
Sebastien Lai told The Associated Press that while he feels more confident about seeing his father again after the British government expressed support, he remains worried given his father’s age and the time he has spent in prison.
The trial’s outcome will likely have far-reaching implications for the state of press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong, as the international community closely monitors the proceedings.
Written by Ava LeFevre
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