The Japan Times - Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai's collusion trial resumes after delay

The 77-year-old founder of the Apple Daily newspaper is charged with foreign collusion under Hong Kong's national security law, which Beijing imposed following huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

The sprawling trial, which began in December 2023, is entering its final stages as Western nations and rights groups continue to call for Lai's release.

Aside from the collusion offence -- which could land him in prison for life -- Lai is also charged with "seditious publication" related to 161 op-eds carrying his byline.

Despite being kept behind bars since December 2020, the tycoon gave spirited courtroom testimony over more than 50 days during the trial.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said on Thursday that "the world is watching how Hong Kong treats its journalists".

"The prolonged detention of Jimmy Lai not only destroys Hong Kong's historic reputation as a free and open society, but also as a trusted hub for business," said CPJ regional director Beh Lih Yi.

US President Donald Trump said on a Fox News radio programme on Thursday that he had previously brought up the Lai case with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

"I'm going to do everything I can to save him... you could also understand President Xi would not be exactly thrilled," the outlet quoted Trump as saying.

The Hong Kong government said Wednesday it "strongly disapproved and rejected the slanderous remarks made by external forces" regarding Lai's case.

- 'Political prisoner' -

Throughout the trial, Lai has fielded questions about his political ideology, management style and overseas contacts.

He described himself at least twice as a "political prisoner", which drew sharp rebukes from the three-judge panel.

Prosecutors showed the court a diagram titled "(Lai's) external political connections", arguing that he had exerted influence in the United States, Britain and Taiwan.

It featured headshots of top US political figures, including Trump, his former deputy Mike Pence and ex-secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Former Taiwan leader Tsai Ing-wen was also among those named.

Two prosecution witnesses, Chan Tsz-wah and Andy Li, also accused Lai of financially backing the advocacy group "Stand With Hong Kong" to run overseas newspaper ads supporting the 2019 protests.

Lai has denied calling for sanctions against China and Hong Kong and said he never advocated separatism.

Four other people who held senior roles in Apple Daily were called upon by prosecutors to testify about how Lai shaped the outlet's political stance.

The mogul said his newspaper championed democracy and freedom, adding that he had always disavowed violence.

"The core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong... (including) rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly," Lai said on the first day of his testimony.

Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021 after police raids and the arrests of its senior editors.

Lai is a British citizen and his son Sebastien reiterated in March calls for the Keir Starmer administration to do more, saying: "I don't want my father to die in jail."

K.Hashimoto--JT