Sawt Falasteen - Hong Kong mogul Jimmy Lai's 'punditry' not criminal: lawyer

The 77-year-old founder of the now-closed Apple Daily has pleaded not guilty to two counts of foreign collusion, with authorities accusing him of using various platforms to lobby Western nations to sanction China and Hong Kong.

The charges were brought under the city's national security law, which Beijing imposed in 2020 after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the finance hub the year before.

Lawyers are presenting their closing arguments in the trial, which began in December 2023.

Prosecutors have cited 161 articles, including op-eds carrying Lai's byline, as part of their evidence that the tycoon conspired to lobby for sanctions against China and Hong Kong.

Defence lawyer Robert Pang read out some of Lai's social media posts in court.

He also pointed to a 2020 livestream in which Lai warned about China's "war-wolf attitude" in foreign relations that the mogul said would not change unless Chinese President Xi Jinping stepped down.

"He's commenting on world affairs... (like) over the dimsum table," Pang told the court.

"It's not a request for Xi Jinping to step down."

However, the three-judge panel disagreed multiple times, with judge Esther Toh telling Pang to interpret Lai's words "without obfuscation".

The 161 articles have also been cited as evidence of "seditious publication", which is being brought against Lai as a separate charge.

Western nations and rights groups have called for Lai's release.

Reporters Without Borders said on Thursday that it and "a coalition of 72 human rights and press freedom organisations" are urging British Prime Minister Keir Starmer to secure the release of Lai, a British citizen.

Hong Kong authorities "strongly disapproved and rejected the slanderous remarks" last week from foreign organisations and media regarding Lai's case.

Officials also maintained that Lai was receiving "adequate and comprehensive" medical care while in custody.

Lai has been fitted with a heart-rate monitor and prescribed medication after his defence team said last week he was experiencing heart palpitations.

H.Darwish--SF-PST