Jimmy Lai’s national security trial enters its final closing arguments
Key charges and the legal backdrop
Foreign collusion under Hong Kong’s 2020 national security law, a life‑prison offence.
Seditious publication related to 161 op‑ed articles bearing Lai’s byline.
The trial, launched in December 2023, follows the forced shutdown of Apple Daily in 2021.
Witness testimony and accusations
Prosecutors presented a diagram titled “(Lai’s) external political connections,” highlighting supposed influence in the United States, Britain and Taiwan.
Witnesses Chan Tsz‑wah and Andy Li alleged Lai financed the advocacy group “Stand With Hong Kong” to run overseas newspaper ads supporting the 2019 protests.
Four senior Apple Daily staff were called to testify about Lai’s editorial direction.
Internal debate and Lai’s “political prisoner” stance
Lai described himself at least twice as a “political prisoner,” a claim met with sharp rebuke from the three‑judge panel.
His testimony underscored that Apple Daily championed “democracy, freedom of speech and the rule of law,” while disavowing violence.
International reaction and political pressure
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) warned that “the world is watching how Hong Kong treats its journalists,” accusing prolonged detention of Jimmy Lai of eroding the city’s free‑society reputation.
U.S. President Donald Trump claimed on Fox News radio that he had discussed Lai’s case with President Xi Jinping and pledged to do everything possible to secure Lai’s release.
The Hong Kong government strongly denounced “slanderous remarks” from external forces, asserting its stance against the trial’s allegations.
Human rights perspective and familial appeal
Se bran Lai, a British citizen, maintains the newspaper’s values of rule of law and freedom of assembly.
Lai’s son, Sebastien, urged the Keir Starmer administration to intensify efforts to prevent his father from dying in prison.
