With a British passport, Jimmy Lai, currently 78 years old, the founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, currently banned, has been imprisoned since 2020
Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong’s former pro-democracy media mogul, will hear the verdict in his trial for violating national security on December 15, according to the court’s website.
Jimmy Lai is accused of collusion with foreign entities under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020 and revised in 2024, in response to the sometimes violent pro-democracy protests that took place in the city in 2019.
A 60-minute hearing “for verdict” will be held on Monday before three judges at 10:00 (02:00 in Lisbon), according to the court’s hearing calendar consulted by the agency France-Presse (AFP).
With a British passport, currently aged 78, the founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, currently banned, has been imprisoned since 2020.
In addition to charges of collusion, punishable by life in prison, the tycoon is being prosecuted for “seditious publications” relating to 161 articles, including editorials signed with his name.
The Hong Kong Government also condemned what it classified as “distortion” of the story by Jimmy Lai through the press, including reports published by AFP.
“These reports seek to defame [o Governo de Hong Kong]by trying to deceive the public”, said the territory’s authorities in a statement, cited by the agency.
During the trial, which began in December 2023, Lai pleaded not guilty and stated that he had never advocated separatism or violent resistance. He also denied calling for Western sanctions against China and Hong Kong.
“Apple Daily’s core values are actually the core values of the Hong Kong people (…) [incluindo] the rule of law, freedom, the pursuit of democracy, freedom of expression, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly”, he argued.
Jimmy Lai’s children expressed concern about their father’s failing health during a meeting with journalists in Washington in early December. Diabetic Jimmy Lai has been held in solitary confinement without air conditioning in a prison where summer temperatures reach 44°C, his children said.
According to Hong Kong authorities, Jimmy Lai is receiving “adequate and comprehensive” care in prison.
