Verdict in trial of Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai looms as new diplomatic flashpoint

By Jessie Pang and James Pomfret

Hong Kong's High Court will hand down a verdict on Monday in the landmark national security trial of pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai, according to a notice from the judiciary, in a case that has drawn international scrutiny as emblematic of China's crackdown on rights and freedoms in the territory.

Lai, the founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper and one of the most prominent critics of China's Communist Party leadership, has faced a slew of litigation, including under the China-imposed national security law that was enacted in response to mass protests in 2019.

Lai, 78, has pleaded not guilty to a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material, and two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and faces a maximum life sentence if convicted.

VERDICT SEEN AS TEST OF HONG KONG'S JUDICIAL INDEPENDENCE

The 156-day trial, which began in December 2023, has drawn international scrutiny, including from the U.S., and is the most high-profile use of Beijing's sweeping national security law.

The long-awaited verdict looms as a fresh diplomatic flashpoint, with Western and Asian diplomats attending Lai's hearings over the past few years.

Widely seen as a test for Hong Kong's judicial independence, the verdict will be delivered by three judges - Esther Toh, Alex Lee and Susana D'Almada Remedios - who were hand-picked by Hong Kong's pro-Beijing leader to hear national security cases.

Sentencing is expected at a later date.

Washington and several other countries, including Britain, say the trial is politically motivated and have demanded Lai's immediate release. U.S. President Donald Trump raised Lai's case during a meeting with China's leader Xi Jinping in South Korea in October, and has said he would do his utmost to "save" Lai.

"As President Trump said, Jimmy Lai should be released and he wants to see that happen," said a Trump administration official, who declined to be named, on Friday.

The Chinese and Hong Kong governments say the tycoon is being given a fair trial.

Asked about the verdict on Friday, the foreign ministry in Beijing said the government supported Hong Kong in "punishing criminal acts that violate national security."

1,800 DAYS OF SOLITARY CONFINEMENT

Lai's family and lawyers say his health is deteriorating after more than 1,800 days in solitary confinement, and he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure as well as heart palpitations that require medication.

Hong Kong authorities say the medical services provided to Lai in prison are "comprehensive."

Lai, a British citizen, stands accused of using the Apple Daily as a platform to conspire with six former executives and others to produce seditious publications between April 2019 and June 2021, and colluding with foreign forces between July 2020 and June 2021.

He is also accused of working together with former Apple Daily staff, overseas politicians, activists and others to invite foreign countries, including the U.S., Britain and Japan to impose sanctions, blockades and other hostile measures against Hong Kong and China, an offence under the national security law.

The prosecution said there was "overwhelming evidence" to show Lai was the "mastermind" of the alleged conspiracy.

Lai, however, told the court that he never called on the U.S. to engage in hostile acts against China.

"I was concerned about Hong Kong's freedom and human rights," he told the court earlier.

Hong Kong, a former British colony, returned to Chinese rule in 1997 and operates a separate judicial system from the rest of China, based on Common Law traditions that are meant to offer greater legal protections than in mainland China.