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76-Year-Old Apple Daily Founder Jimmy Lai Testifies in Hong Kong Security Trial Facing Life

Nov 20, 2024, 04:16 AM

Jimmy Lai, the 76-year-old pro-democracy media tycoon and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, testified in court for the first time in his national security trial in Hong Kong. Lai, who has been detained since late 2020 and is already serving a jail term for a fraud conviction, is facing charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under Beijing's national security law and publishing seditious materials. The trial, which has been ongoing for more than 90 days, is widely seen as a barometer of Hong Kong's diminishing freedoms and could potentially result in Lai being imprisoned for life. During his testimony, Lai defended his newspaper's role in representing Hong Kong's core values and denied advocating for the city's independence from China, calling the idea "crazy." He stated that he entered the media business after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown to "participate in delivering freedom." Lai emphasized the importance of providing information to the public, saying, "The more information you have, the more you are in the know, the more you're free." Crowds lined up outside the West Kowloon Law Courts building to hear Lai testify. This marks the first time Lai has spoken in court after five previous trials over four years. His wife Teresa and Cardinal Joseph Zen, who frequently attends court proceedings, were seen arriving at the courthouse.