Hong Kong mogul Jimmy Lai testifies for first time

Jimmy Lai, one of Hong Kong’s most influential pro-democracy figures, is taking the stand on Wednesday in a national security trial that may see him sentenced to life imprisonment.

The 76-year-old founder of the now-defunct Hong Kong tabloid Apple Daily is accused of colluding with foreign forces by using his media platform to oppose the government.

This is his first time testifying in court, even though he has undergone multiple trials since 2020 – all widely seen as politically motivated amid Beijing’s tightening grip over the city.

Lai said on Wednesday that Apple Daily represented Hong Kong’s values, including “freedom [and the] pursuit of democracy.”

His hearing comes one day after the sentencing of 45 pro-democracy campaigners – part of a group known as the Hong Kong 47 – in the city’s largest trial under the controversial national security law.

Lai’s ongoing trial concerns allegations that Apple Daily published articles supporting the pro-democracy protests that rocked the city in 2019, which were seen by Beijing as a threat to national stability.

Lai argued on Wednesday that he opposed violence and that advocating for Hong Kong independence was “too crazy to think about”.

“The core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong,” he added.

These values, he said, include the “rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly.”

Lai was previously sentenced to jail on charges including unauthorised assembly and fraud, and has been held in solitary confinement since late 2020.

Dozens queued up outside the court on Wednesday morning to show their support for the media mogul.

A similar crowd gathered on Tuesday for the sentencing of the Hong Kong 47, which included some of the biggest names in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, like Benny Tai and Joshua Wong.

The prosecution of Lai, who holds British citizenship, has captured international attention, with rights groups and foreign governments urging his release.

US President-elect Donald Trump said in a podcast in October that he would “100%” get Lai out of China – a claim that was met with calls for “mutual respect” from Hong Kong’s leader John Lee.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who has described Lai as a “priority” for his government, expressed concerns about Lai’s “deterioration” when he met Chinese President Xi Jinping during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro this week.

Lai’s family and legal team have raised concerns about his health, pointing to his weight loss and increasing frailty during his recent court appearances.