Hong Kong court begins hearing final arguments in Jimmy Lai's national security trial

HONG KONG — A Hong Kong court heard final arguments Monday in the landmark national security trial of former pro-democracy newspaper founder Jimmy Lai, who could be sentenced to up to life in prison if he is convicted. Lai, 77, was arrested in 2020 under a national security law imposed by Beijing following anti-government protests in 2019. He is being tried on charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. Lai founded Apple Daily, one of the local media outlets that was most critical of Hong Kong's government. His high-profile case that has stretched nearly 150 days, far beyond the original estimate of 80 days, is widely seen as a trial of press freedom and a test for judicial independence in the Asian financial hub. It is unclear when a verdict will be delivered. Prosecutor Anthony Chau on Monday discussed the security law concerning the collusion charges, arguing the request to impose sanctions must also include officials and not only states. He planned to lay out other principle issues in the afternoWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Korea Times