Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai entered a plea of not guilty on Tuesday to criminal charges related to alleged violations of national security laws. The 76-year-old Lai is facing two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to print seditious publications.
During the court proceedings, Lai, a British national, vocally declared his innocence as each of the three charges was read. Seated in a glass dock surrounded by guards, Lai was observed by family, foreign diplomats, and supporters present in the courtroom. Lai is the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and has been a prominent critic of China’s Communist Party leadership, including President Xi Jinping.
In his opening statement, prosecutor Anthony Chau characterized Lai as a “radical figure” and accused him of colluding with foreign nations, notably the United States, by advocating for sanctions against China in response to the national security law. The prosecutor presented photos of Lai meeting with former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo as evidence.
Chau also cited 161 articles published in Apple Daily as “examples of seditious publications.” The trial involves co-conspirators, including Luke de Pulford, executive director of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, and other figures such as Japanese politician Shiori Yamao, financier Bill Browder, and exiled activist Finn Lau.
Luke de Pulford, based in the U.K., asserted in a video statement that the allegations against him and others were fabricated and aimed at delivering Beijing’s narrative. De Pulford leads the alliance, a global consortium of lawmakers focused on how democracies engage with China.
Jimmy Lai, initially arrested in 2020 under the new law on suspicion of foreign collusion, faces severe penalties if convicted, including up to life in prison. He has previously been convicted and jailed for participating in unauthorized pro-democracy assemblies in 2019 and 2020.
Many view this landmark case as a pivotal test for press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong, a former British colony promised Western-style civil liberties for 50 years after its return to Chinese rule in 1997. The United States and the United Kingdom have called for Lai’s immediate release, asserting that the trial is politically motivated.