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Jimmy Lai Trial: Judge Questions Defence’s Understanding of Hong Kong Security Law
Jimmy Lai faces charges under Hong Kong's National Security Law, with possible life imprisonment for alleged collusion with foreign forces amid Beijing's crackdown on dissent.
- Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, is on trial in Hong Kong in 2025 under the National Security Law, accused of plotting with overseas entities and distributing material deemed seditious.
- The trial follows Beijing's imposition of the National Security Law in June 2020 after large 2019 protests, aiming to prevent secession, subversion, terrorism, and foreign collusion, with authorities authorizing a judge-only trial and strict bail conditions.
- Lai's defense argues for a literal interpretation of the law to protect free speech, emphasizing political advocacy is not criminal, while the judge questioned if the defense’s understanding aligns with Beijing’s intentions.
- Prosecutors claim Lai's articles defamed the government and incited hostility, with Lai denied bail in 2020, held mostly in solitary confinement for over 1,700 days, and faces up to life imprisonment at age 77.
- The trial tests Hong Kong’s judicial autonomy under a system where Beijing controls National Security Law interpretation, and critics see the case as part of a broader crackdown on dissent and civil liberties.
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12 Articles
catholicworldreport.com
CNA explains: Who is Jimmy Lai?
2025 Bradley Prize recipient Jimmy Lai. / Credit: Courtesy of the Bradley Foundation Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 25, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA). Catholic self-made entrepreneur and media tycoon Jimmy Lai built an empire on free speech and truthfu... [...]
Hong Kong Publisher Jimmy Lai’s Case Drags On
Closing submissions in a marathon national security trial against Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher Jimmy Lai are expected to continue this week in a proceeding that makes it unlikely he will ever see the street again.The trial, originally expected to last 80 days, has been droning on for almost twice that, the latest in a series of nonstop legal travai…
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Sebastien Lai talks with the Sun as the trial of his father reaches the final stages in what’s widely seen as a test of Beijing’s crackdown on criticism of its policies.
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