Hong Kong tycoon found guilty in landmark national security case

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been found guilty of colluding with foreign powers under Hong Kong’s controversial national security law (NSL).

The 78-year-old has been in jail since December 2020 and has pleaded not guilty. He faces life in prison and is expected to be sentenced early next year.

Lai used his now-defunct Apple Daily as part of a broader effort The court found that the purpose was to lobby foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and mainland China.

Hong Kong Chief Executive Lee Chia-chiu welcomed the verdict, noting that Jimmy Lai’s actions “harmed national interests and the well-being of Hong Kong people,” but human rights groups called it “a cruel judicial farce.”

They say Beijing insists the national security law is vital to the city’s stability, but it is being used to suppress dissent.

In handing down the sentence on Monday, Judge Esther Zhuo said there was “no doubt” that Jimmy Lai had “hatred” for the People’s Republic of China and that he “constantly invited the United States to help overthrow the government of the People’s Republic of China under the pretext of helping the people of Hong Kong.”

when Jimmy Lai will appear in court to testify in Novemberwho has denied all accusations against him, saying he has “never” used his diplomatic connections to influence Hong Kong’s foreign policy.

When asked about his meeting with then-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence, Jimmy Lai said he didn’t ask him anything: “When he asked me, I just conveyed to him what was happening in Hong Kong.”

He was also asked about a meeting with then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, whom he said he asked “not to do something but to say something to express support for Hong Kong.”

Jimmy Lai, a British citizen and one of the fiercest critics of the Chinese government, was a key figure in the pro-democracy protests that swept Hong Kong in 2019. Beijing introduced the national security law in response to months of demonstrations that sometimes erupted into violent clashes with police.

The law was enacted without consulting Hong Kong’s legislature and gives authorities broad powers to prosecute and imprison people they believe pose a threat to Hong Kong’s law and order or government stability.

Lai has been charged with violating the national security law over his role in the protests and his tabloid, Apple Daily, which has become a standard-bearer for the pro-democracy movement.

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

Jimmy Lai appeared calm as the verdict was read and waved goodbye to his family as he was escorted out of the court. Jimmy Lai’s wife, Mother Teresa, and one of his sons were in court, as was Cardinal Joseph Zen, an old friend who baptized Jimmy Lai in 1997.

“Mr. Lai is in good mental condition,” his lawyer Robert Pang said after the verdict. “The judgment is too long and we need some time to study it. I have nothing to add at the moment.” He did not say whether they would appeal.

The UK condemned “politically motivated persecution” of Mr Lai, saying he was “targeted for peacefully exercising his right to free speech”.

“The UK has repeatedly called for the National Security Act to be scrapped and for an end to the prosecution of all individuals charged under it,” the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said in a statement on Monday.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said after the verdict: “The Chinese government’s abuse of Jimmy Lai is intended to silence anyone who dares to criticize the Chinese Communist Party.”

“Facing the farce of Jimmy Lai’s case, governments should put pressure on authorities to drop the case and release him immediately.”

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

US President Donald Trump earlier vowed to “do whatever it takes to save” Lai, while British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said securing Lai’s release was a “top priority”.

Lai’s trial is widely seen as another test of the judicial independence of Hong Kong courts, which have been accused of toeing Beijing’s line since Beijing tightened control over the city in 2019.

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

Bail is also frequently denied in NSL cases, as was Le’s case, despite concerns from human rights groups and Le’s children about his deteriorating health. He has reportedly been placed in solitary confinement.

Lai’s son Sebastian told the BBC earlier this year that his father’s “body is falling apart” – “given his age, given his health… he will die in prison“.

The Hong Kong government has also been criticized for barring foreign lawyers from handling NSL cases without prior permission. They say it’s a national security risk even though foreign lawyers have worked in the city’s courts for decades. Subsequently, Jimmy Lai’s choice of a lawyer based in the UK was rejected.

Lai is now jailed under the national security law along with dozens of pro-democracy activists in the city.

Hong Kong’s national security police chief spoke to the media after the verdict, saying Jimmy Lai had “fabricated news” to pursue “political goals.”

On the mainland, the state-run Global Times quoted a member of Hong Kong’s election committee as saying the case sent a “clear message”: “Any behavior that splits the country and undermines Hong Kong’s prosperity and stability will be severely punished by law.”

arrive, Who was born in mainland ChinaHe fled to Hong Kong when he was 12 years old and established himself as a businessman after establishing the international clothing brand Giordano.

He began his journey as a democracy activist after China’s brutal crackdown on pro-democracy protests in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in 1989.

Lai began writing columns criticizing the Holocaust and later launched a series of popular pro-democracy publications, including Apple Daily and Next.

Even now, many Hong Kongers regard him as a leading voice for democracy – about 80 people lined up to enter the courtroom ahead of Monday’s verdict.

One of them is Ms. Lin, who declined to give her full name. Holding an apple in her hand, she said she started queuing around 11:00 local time on Sunday — almost a full day before the meeting — because dozens of people had arrived before her. It was a cold night, she said, but she did it because she wanted to wish Lai good luck.

“We are all frustrated and powerless. However, the whole issue must come to an end and the time has come,” a former Apple Daily reporter who was also in court told the BBC.

“Jimmy always said he owed Hong Kong… but I think Hong Kong and most Hong Kong people are very grateful that he stood up for the core values, goodwill and integrity of the community at the expense of his own well-being and personal freedom.”

In his testimony, Jimmy Lai said he “never allowed” his newspaper’s staff to advocate Hong Kong independence, which he called a “conspiracy” and “unimaginably crazy.”

“The core values ​​of Apple Daily are actually the core values ​​of Hong Kong people,” he said, adding that these values ​​include “the rule of law, freedom, the pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of assembly.”