The trial of pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai for “collusion with foreign forces” in which he risks a life sentence opened in Hong Kong on Monday after demands from Washington and London for his immediate release were rejected by China.
• Also read: Hong Kong's “oldest political prisoner,” Jimmy Lai
The British billionaire, making his first public appearance since 2021, appeared at the Hong Kong court on Monday wearing a suit, smiling and greeting members of his family.
Representatives of the American, British, Australian and Canadian consulates were present in the courtroom.
Mr. Lai, 76, is accused of “collusion with foreign forces,” among other national security violations.
He has been imprisoned for three years under a radical national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020, a year after major pro-democracy protests.
The trial, which is scheduled to take place in open session over the next 80 days, is intended to assess the state of civil liberties in Hong Kong and the independence of the judiciary from Beijing.
A large security system was set up around the courtroom, where residents had waited all night in the cold to be present.
Among them, Alexandra Wong, an activist better known as “Grandma Wong,” shouted “Support Apple Daily, support Jimmy Lai” while waving the British flag before being dragged away by police.
AFP
“Older, thinner”
The owner of the Apple Daily newspaper, which closed in 2021, is one of the most famous figures in the pro-democracy movement.
His newspaper, a harsh critic of Beijing, supported the large democracy demonstrations of 2019 and called for international sanctions against Chinese and local authorities.
His case sparked condemnation from the international community.
“We call on the authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong to respect press freedom in Hong Kong” and “immediately release Jimmy Lai and all others detained for defending their rights,” US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said. on Sunday.
For his part, British diplomat David Cameron said: “Jimmy Lai was targeted in an apparent attempt to prevent the peaceful exercise of his rights to freedom of expression and association.”
Mr Cameron said he was particularly concerned about “the prosecutions launched for political reasons” against the former press chief and called on Hong Kong authorities to “release Jimmy Lai”.
Beijing called the American and British reactions a “blatant political maneuver.”
“The statements made by the United States and the United Kingdom on this matter constitute a serious violation of the spirit of the rule of law and the principles of international law (…). “They represent a blatant political maneuver,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said on Monday.
This process “undermines trust in the rule of law” in Hong Kong, said on Monday the European Union, which will follow the process “carefully”, which “damages the attractiveness of the city as an international economic center”.
The dissident's son, Sebastien Lai, told AFP on Saturday after a meeting with David Cameron in London that the British minister called the matter a “priority” and had “discussed it with his counterpart Wang Yi,” the most senior Chinese diplomat.
When Sebastien Lai recently discovered photos in the press showing his father looking “older and thinner” in the courtyard of his prison, he admitted he was heartbroken.
“I have no illusions about the independence of Hong Kong’s judicial system,” he added.
Hong Kong Prime Minister John Lee reassured on Monday that the city had a “long tradition (of respect) for the rule of law,” adding that he had “complete confidence” in the justice system to make a fair and independent decision.
Lee warned against any attempt to interfere in the legal proceedings, speaking in Beijing after talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Nobody should try to do anything for political reasons,” he said.
Jimmy Lai is being tried without a jury before three judges chosen by the Hong Kong leader from a group of hand-picked judges.
His detention since Hong Kong's highest court denied his release on bail in late 2020 marked a shift in pre-trial detention in Hong Kong.
Lai's lawyer Robert Pang argued Monday that the charges should be dropped, arguing that Hong Kong's criminal law imposes a time limit on such prosecutions and that the government had waited too long.
“The prosecutors have run out of time, so the court has no jurisdiction,” Pang said, defending an argument that dominated Monday’s hearing.
“Parody of Justice”
Since Hong Kong's national security law came into force in 2020, human rights activists say it has silenced dissent and restricted civil liberties.
According to Reporters Without Borders, more than 100 media representatives from around the world co-signed a statement earlier this year calling for Lai's release.