Jimmy Lai: Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon's trial begins

Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, a prominent figure in the pro-democracy movement, is currently on trial in Hong Kong, facing charges related to breaching national security and colluding with foreign forces. At 76, Lai, who has been in jail since December 2020, could potentially receive a life sentence if convicted. The trial is viewed as a significant test of Hong Kong’s judicial independence and has sparked international concern.

Lai, a self-made millionaire, was arrested under China’s National Security Law (NSL), which has been criticized for suppressing dissent. More than 250 activists, lawmakers, and protesters, including Lai, have been detained under the NSL and sedition charges. The trial, delayed for a year, is expected to last approximately 80 days.

Beijing argues that the NSL is essential for maintaining stability, while critics perceive Lai’s case as indicative of China’s tightening control over the former British territory. Lai’s legal team claims he has been denied a fair hearing, with Beijing prohibiting him from appointing a UK lawyer, and the trial being conducted by judges handpicked by Hong Kong’s leader.

The US and the UK have called for Lai’s release, expressing concern over the politically motivated prosecution. Lai, holding Chinese and British citizenship, faces not only NSL charges but also sedition charges based on his tweets, interviews, and articles in the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, which he owned.

Lai, born in southern China in 1947, fled to Hong Kong as a stowaway at the age of 12. Initially working in a garment sweatshop, he later founded the international clothing brand Giordano. Over the years, Lai became an outspoken critic of the Chinese Communist Party and played a prominent role in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy protests.

The trial follows the closure of Apple Daily in June 2021, a move that drew widespread lamentation as it was seen as Hong Kong’s last independent newspaper. Lai’s case is condemned by Human Rights Watch as a “travesty,” with calls for concerned governments to press for the charges to be dropped. The trial’s outcome may have broader implications for Hong Kong’s democratic institutions and its international standing as a business and financial hub.