Jimmy Lai Pleads Not Guilty in Hong Kong Sedition Trial

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Facts

  • Hong Kong media mogul and prominent activist Jimmy Lai pleaded not guilty to the charges of conspiracy to commit foreign collusion and conspiring to publish seditious material as his national security trial resumed on Tuesday.1
  • Meanwhile, in their opening arguments, prosecutors claimed that the defendant used his now-defunct Apple Daily news outlet to spread provocative content while collaborating with prominent foreign figures to lobby for sanctions and instigate hostility against Hong Kong and mainland China.2
  • Lead prosecutor Anthony Chau further detailed that Lai had political connections in the US with whom he met in 2019, including officials in the Trump administration such as then-Vice Pres. Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and then-House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.).3
  • Multiple foreign nationals have been named in the trial as co-conspirators, intermediaries, or agents with whom Lai collaborated — including Hong Kong Watch’s Chief Executive Benedict Rogers and the former Japanese lawmaker Shiori Kanno.1
  • If convicted on the charges of sedition and collusion with foreign countries in the expected 80-day trial without a jury, Lai could face a life sentence. Last month, the 76-year-old was sentenced to nearly six years in prison on two counts of fraud related to the lease terms for offices of his Apple Daily.4
  • The most prominent person charged under Hong Kong's 2020 National Security Law, the Guangzhou-born British citizen has been held in solitary confinement since December 2020, following his arrest for fraud and his involvement in demonstrations in the territory.5

Sources: 1Guardian, 2South China Morning Post, 3New York Times, 4FOX News and 5BBC News.

Narratives

  • Anti-China narrative, as provided by Hong Kong Watch. As the free world has known for a long time, the charges against Lai were always a sham — notably because he has been accused of sedition simply for talking to politicians and other activists. If Hong Kong wants to retain any of its past democratic dignity, Lai should be freed immediately. Otherwise, the Beijing-controlled courts will show once and for all that this is simply about crushing any dissenting voices.
  • Pro-China narrative, as provided by Global Times. It's laughable that Western countries with similar — and even more vague — national security sedition laws are taking the moral high ground and claiming that this prosecution is politically motivated as if mainland China and Hong Kong weren't governed by the rule of law. There is no freedom in any country that allows bad actors to work directly with foreign powers against their homeland.

Predictions