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Detained Apple Daily Founder Jimmy Lai Testifies in Hong Kong Security Trial Facing Life Imprisonment

Nov 20, 2024, 06:01 AM

Jimmy Lai, the 76-year-old British pro-democracy media tycoon and founder of Hong Kong's now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, testified on Wednesday for the first time in his national security trial, which began in December 2023 and has spanned over 90 days. Lai, who has been detained in solitary confinement since late 2020 and is already serving a jail term for a fraud conviction, faces charges of "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" and publishing seditious materials under Beijing's national security law. If convicted, he could face life imprisonment. In his testimony, Lai denied advocating for Hong Kong's independence from China or lobbying foreign governments, calling the idea "crazy." He defended Apple Daily as representing Hong Kong's core values and freedoms, stating he entered the media industry after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown to "participate in delivering freedom" and emphasized, "The more information you have, the more you're free." Having remained silent in five previous trials over four years, this marks his first time speaking in court since his arrest. His trial is viewed as a key indicator of the diminishing freedoms in the Chinese territory following the 2019 pro-democracy protests and the implementation of the national security law. His wife, Teresa, and Cardinal Joseph Zen attended the court proceedings to support him.