[ad_1]
Jimmy Lai, one among Hong Kong’s most influential pro-democracy figures, is taking the stand on Wednesday in a nationwide safety trial that will see him sentenced to life imprisonment.
The 76-year-old founding father of the now-defunct Hong Kong tabloid Apple Daily is accused of colluding with international forces by utilizing his media platform to oppose the federal government.
This is his first time testifying in court docket, although he has undergone a number of trials since 2020 – all broadly seen as politically motivated amid Beijing’s tightening grip over town.
Lai stated on Wednesday that he joined the media trade after the Tiananmen Square bloodbath to “participate in delivering freedom”.
His listening to comes in the future after the sentencing of 45 pro-democracy campaigners – a part of a bunch generally known as the Hong Kong 47 – within the metropolis’s largest trial beneath the controversial national security law.
Lai’s ongoing trial concerns allegations that Apple Daily published articles supporting the pro-democracy protests that rocked the city in 2019, which were seen by Beijing as a threat to national stability.
Lai argued on Wednesday that he opposed violence and that advocating for Hong Kong independence was “too loopy to consider”.
He additionally stated that “the core values of Apple Daily are literally the core values of the individuals of Hong Kong”.
These values, he said, include the “rule of regulation, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of faith, freedom of meeting.”
Lai was beforehand sentenced to jail on fees together with unauthorised meeting and fraud, and has been held in solitary confinement since late 2020.
Dozens queued up exterior the court docket on Wednesday morning to point out their assist for the media mogul.
An identical crowd gathered on Tuesday for the sentencing of the Hong Kong 47, which included among the largest names in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy motion, like Benny Tai and Joshua Wong.
The prosecution of Lai, who holds British citizenship, has captured worldwide consideration, with rights teams and international governments urging his launch.
US President-elect Donald Trump stated in a podcast in October that he would “100%” get Lai out of China – a declare that was met with requires “mutual respect” from Hong Kong’s chief John Lee.
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has described Lai as a “priority” for his authorities, expressed issues about Lai’s “deterioration” when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping through the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro this week.
Lai’s household and authorized crew have raised issues about his well being, pointing to his weight reduction and rising frailty throughout his latest court docket appearances.
[ad_2]
Source link
