Hong Kong After many postponements last week, Hong Kong prosecutors have started closing arguments in the national security trial of pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai.
This is the penultimate phase of Lai’s well-known trial, which is expected to go on for eight days. Before three national security judges render a decision, which is anticipated in the upcoming weeks or months, Lai will make his final court appearances for the closing arguments.
Lai donned black-rimmed spectacles and a white jacket on Monday. As he walked into the courtroom, he grinned and nodded to his supporters and family.
Since the study started in December 2023, he had a noticeable decrease in weight.
Lai, 77, had been placed with a cardiac monitor and given medication, according to prosecutor Anthony Chau, who also informed the court that Lai had not filed any more health-related complaints.
Lai is accused of violating Hong Kong’s national security law
After several delays, Lai’s trial finally started in December 2023, and it has now gone far longer than the initial 80-day projection.
After Beijing enforced the national security law in 2020 in response to anti-government riots that broke out the previous year, authorities have accused Lai of using his tabloid, Apple Daily, to promote international sanctions against China and Hong Kong.
Acts of terrorism, subversion, secession, and cooperation with foreign powers that jeopardize national security are all prohibited by the law.
Critics contend that the rule has been used to stifle dissent, while Chinese and Hong Kong officials claim that since it went into effect, stability has returned to the area.
Lai has entered not guilty pleas to two allegations of sedition and collusion with foreign forces under the city’s national security statute. If found guilty, he might spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Chau highlighted Lai’s global ties, including those with influential U.S. politicians, in his concluding remarks.
“These collaborations are long term and persistent,” Chau stated.
Chau emphasized Lai’s 2019 U.S. visits, including a meeting with then-U.S. Vice President Mike Pence in July.
Lai stated in his testimony last November that he had not requested the U.S. government to take action against Hong Kong and Beijing officials at the discussion with Pence, merely asking the vice president to express support for Hong Kong. His words, “This is beyond me,”
To some, Lai is a thorn in the side of authority; to others, a hero of press freedom
Lai’s Apple Daily, a decades-long thorn in the sides of Beijing and Hong Kong authorities, was compelled to close its doors in 2021. Through his writing and publishing, he was a vocal opponent of China’s leaders.
Lai discussed his motivations for starting his media empire in his testimony last November, stating that “the more information you have, the more you know, the more you’re free.”
Dozens of Lai’s supporters flocked to the courthouse on Monday in the hopes of seeing Lai. One of them was a fifty-year-old man in black who only went by Chan, claiming to be afraid of reprisals from the government for backing Lai. He expressed concern for Lai’s health to NPR.
As a symbol and a thorn in the side of those who oppose freedom, democracy, justice, and conscience, Lai is a well-known figure in Hong Kong. Not only do we stand by him personally, but we also assist him by defending these principles,” he stated.
The trial, which is being presided over by three national security judges that the authorities personally selected, has attracted attention from around the world.
In a podcast during the previous year’s presidential campaign, President Trump declared, “100%, I’ll get him out.” It will be simple to remove him.
Trump claimed he would do everything he could in an appearance on Fox News radio last Thursday, which seemed to be a softer version of his earlier promise.
“I didn’t promise that I would save him. He said that his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, “would not be exactly thrilled” by the decision. “I said, 100%, I’m going to be bringing it up, and I’ve already brought it up, and I’m going to do everything I can to save him,” he said.
China’s Embassy spokeswoman in Washington, Liu Pengyu, referred to Lai as “a key orchestrator and participant in anti-China, destabilizing activities in Hong Kong.”
Liu blasted “external forces” for meddling in China’s domestic affairs and threatening Hong Kong’s rule of law.
Copyright 2025 NPR
