US, UK condemn Jimmy Lai verdict as Hong Kong press freedoms face severe threat

Hong Kong press freedoms under threat

Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai was found guilty on all three charges in his national security trial on Monday, prompting rights groups to warn the verdict could spell the end for press freedom in the city.

Prosecutors accused Lai of masterminding two conspiracies to solicit foreign countries to act against Hong Kong or China and of publishing material that "excited disaffection" against the government.

The 78-year-old, who pleaded not guilty, faces up to life imprisonment at sentencing but retains the right to appeal.

"There is no doubt that (Lai) had harboured his resentment and hatred of the PRC," Judge Esther Toh said in court, referring to the People’s Republic of China. She added that he had invited the United States "to help bring down" the Chinese government, "with the excuse of helping the people of HK".

In Washington, President Donald Trump said he felt "badly" about Lai’s conviction and revealed that he had asked Chinese President Xi Jinping to consider releasing him. "He's an older man, and he's not well. So I did put that request out. We'll see what happens," Trump said.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio also raised concerns about Lai’s health, noting it had reportedly worsened in prison and urging Beijing to "bring this ordeal to an end as soon as possible and to release Mr. Lai on humanitarian grounds".

A British citizen, Lai drew further international attention as the UK government condemned his "politically motivated prosecution" and called for his immediate release.

Family anguish

The media mogul, wearing a light green cardigan and grey jacket, listened impassively as the verdicts were read out.

He nodded to his wife Teresa and his son Lai Shun-yan in the public gallery as he left the court, an AFP reporter saw.

Defence lawyer Robert Pang told reporters that Lai was "in fine spirits" and that they would need to read the 886-page verdict before deciding on their next steps.

Lai's other son Sebastien urged Britain to "do more" to help free his father.

"It's time to put action behind words and make my father's release a pre-condition to closer relationships with China," he told a press conference in London.

In Washington, his daughter Claire Lai warned China her father would be a "martyr" if he dies in prison, as she voiced alarm again for his health.

US, EU and French consular representatives were in court, as well as veterans from Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp.

The European Union said the conviction was "emblematic of the erosion of democracy and fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong since the imposition of the National Security Law", imposed by Beijing after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Beijing hit back at the international criticism, saying it opposed the "smearing of the judicial system in Hong Kong by certain countries".

Self-censorship, fear

Lai, who founded the now-shut Apple Daily newspaper, has been behind bars since 2020.

His case has been widely criticised as an example of eroding political freedoms under the national security law.

The Hong Kong Journalists Association described a Hong Kong media climate of self-censorship and fear.

Beijing's national security agency in Hong Kong and its Liaison Office in the city both called Lai a "pawn" for anti-China forces.

Lai looked thinner on Monday than when he first entered custody, an AFP reporter saw, and some of his supporters who gathered at dawn in front of the court expressed concern for his well-being.

"I really want to see what's happening with 'the boss'," said Tammy Cheung, who worked at Lai's newspaper for nearly two decades.

Health concerns

Authorities have said Lai was receiving "adequate and comprehensive" care, and that he had been held in solitary confinement "at his own request".

Prosecutors cited 161 items Apple Daily published in their case against Lai.

Those items, including opinion articles with Lai's byline and talk shows he hosted, were deemed seditious under a colonial-era law because they "excited disaffection" against the government.

Lai maintained that he never sought to influence other countries' foreign policies, saying Apple Daily represented Hongkongers' core values, including "rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy".

Apple Daily was forced to close in 2021 following police raids. Six top executives were charged as co-defendants and have already pleaded guilty.