Jimmy Lai, the founder of Next Digital, along with three related companies of Apple Daily, has been convicted on two counts of "conspiracy to collude with foreign or external forces to endanger national security" and one count of "conspiracy to publish seditious publications." Three companies of Apple Daily involved in the same case were also convicted of conspiracy to publish seditious publications and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces.
Lai and eight other defendants who pleaded guilty in the case will be sentenced at 10 am next Monday (Feb. 9). According to the law, the maximum penalty is life imprisonment.
Lai has been in custody since December 2020. On Dec. 16 last year, the High Court found Lai guilty on three charges. The 855-page judgment noted that Lai has long harbored animosity toward the country, using the pretext of "helping Hong Kong people" to request the US to overthrow the regime. Even after the Hong Kong National Security Law (NSL) came into effect, Lai did not abandon his intent to destabilize the regime and continued to covertly advance schemes aimed at opposing China and disrupting Hong Kong. The court was convinced that Lai was the mastermind behind the alleged conspiracy, using various Apple Daily platforms with the company's consent to carry it out.
As a pawn of anti-China forces in the US and Western countries, Lai has been the subject of attempts by these forces to interfere with Hong Kong's judicial fairness since the trial began, using "health issues" as an excuse to pressure the SAR government to release him. During this period, a so-called "foreign legal team" for Lai held a seminar in the UK in November 2024, exploiting the case to smear Hong Kong's suppression of speech and press freedom.
In fact, this "foreign legal team" has never participated in Lai's case in a professional legal capacity. Instead, they have frequently coordinated with Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, to attend meetings with governments of other countries, as well as activities organized by anti-China organizations, lobbying and begging for foreign intervention in the trial, and pressuring Hong Kong to release Lai without a trial. They have also repeatedly fabricated accusations without any evidence to smear Hong Kong's judiciary while interacting with other anti-China politicians on online platforms to create a false narrative and stir up public opinion.
Lai's genuine legal representatives, the local law firm Robertsons, stated in January 2023, clarifying that they are the only legal team representing Lai in the trial, clearly indicating that the "foreign legal team" has no representation in related cases.
The "foreign legal team" has frequently fabricated lies. On Sept. 12, 2024, they submitted an urgent complaint to the UN's Special Rapporteur on Torture, baselessly claiming that Lai was subjected to inhumane treatment in prison. In response, Robertsons issued a clarification statement on Sept. 27, confirming that Lai was not subjected to unfair treatment in prison and that the allegations were untrue.
"External forces exploiting Lai's 'health issues' for hype is merely their usual smear tactic, aimed at misleading the public and deliberately crafting a tragic image for Lai," said Legislative Council (LegCo) Member Michael Lee. He noted that Lai's defense lawyers have clearly stated in court that Lai receives daily visits and appropriate treatment from the Correctional Services Department medical staff and has no complaints about the medical services provided.
"This shows that the hype by external forces over Lai's 'health issues' is outright fabrication, with the underlying purpose of interfering with Hong Kong's judicial fairness."
He added that Hong Kong's detention environment has always met humanitarian standards. If detainees experience discomfort such as dizziness or illness, the prison medical team will follow up immediately and arrange hospital treatment when necessary. All facts indicate that any attempts to smear Hong Kong's detention and medical services cannot cover the truth.
"In fact, Lai appeared stable in spirit and normal in movement during court appearances, further highlighting the groundlessness of such lies," said LegCo Member Chan Hok-fung. He said that Lai's trial was conducted with full transparency, with both the prosecution and defense presenting sufficient evidence. British politicians, ignoring the facts, have hyped the "health issue" in an attempt to undermine Hong Kong's rule of law.
(Source: Wen Wei Po)
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