Several overseas activists, rights campaigners and politicians named in a national security trial for Hong Kong democrat Jimmy Lai rebutted allegations levelled by a government prosecutor in court that they colluded with him.
Lai, 76, founder of now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily and a leading critic of the Communist Party of China, faces two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces – including calling for sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials – under a China-imposed national security law. He is also charged with conspiracy to publish seditious publications.
“Hang in there,” a supporter shouted to Lai before the proceedings on Jan 3 began, as he sat in a glass-enclosed dock surrounded by prison guards.
Earlier, prosecutor Anthony Chau accused Lai of conspiring with activist Andy Li, paralegal Chan Tsz-wah, exiled activist Finn Lau, Britain-based rights campaigner Luke de Pulford, Japanese politician Shiori Yamao, US financier Bill Browder and others to lobby foreign countries for sanctions.
Some of these individuals rejected the accusations.
Mr de Pulford, the head of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (Ipac), said on social media platform X: “Jimmy had nothing whatsoever to do with any of my work on Hong Kong at all.
This story is from the January 04, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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This story is from the January 04, 2024 edition of The Straits Times.
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