The high-profile national security trial of media tycoon Jimmy Lai will reach a verdict “in good time,” a judge has said, after the prosecution and defence finished their closing arguments.
The closing submissions in Lai’s closely watched trial came to an end on Thursday, after designated judges Esther Toh, Susana Maria D’Almada Remedios and Alex Lee clarified with his lawyers some technical amendments to be made to their written submissions.
The court also ruled on whether to accept a number of matters stated in the defence’s closing arguments as true even if there was no evidence presented in the trial.
Among the matters, the judge said it would accept that Apple Daily, a now-shuttered newspaper founded by Lai in 1995, was “the voice of the people,” and whether it “resonated with a large part of society.”
Lai’s lawyer, Senior Counsel Robert Pang, asked the judges when they expected to deliver the verdict, adding he understood it was a “huge undertaking” by the court.
“We will inform the parties in good time,” Toh replied.
Thursday marked the 156th day of Lai’s trial, which was originally projected to last 80 days. The closing hearings officially began on August 18, after being postponed due to bad weather and a medical issue with Lai’s heart. Lai had not been in the public eye for roughly five months before that, as the trial had been adjourned since March.
He has already been remanded for over four years since his detention in December 2020.
Dressed in a light beige linen blazer and a white shirt, the media mogul on Thursday smiled, nodded and waved at the public gallery before being escorted away by corrections officers. He also gave thumbs ups to his supporters.
His wife, Teresa Lai, was among the court attendees.
Lai, 77, has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law, and a third count of conspiring to publish seditious materials under colonial-era legislation. He faces a life sentence if convicted.
Prosecutors have accused the media tycoon of requesting foreign countries to engage in hostile activities, such as imposing sanctions, against authorities in Hong Kong and mainland China.
Lai also allegedly used Apple Daily to publish seditious remarks against the authorities and encourage the public to participate in the pro-democracy protests and unrest in 2019.
He allegedly not only conspired with senior editorial staff of Apple Daily but was also the “mastermind and financial supporter” of the Stand with Hong Kong (SWHK) advocacy group, which lobbied for international sanctions against Hong Kong and China.
Lai’s trial has drawn international criticism, including from the US and the UK, with repeated calls for his release. The 77-year-old’s health has also attracted concern, with his son Sebastien telling the media that “time is running out.”
The Hong Kong government has urged foreign countries to “stop interfering” in the ongoing legal process. The authorities said Lai received “adequate and comprehensive” medical care while in detention.
Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong’s mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
