By Daniel Payne
CNA Staff, Jan 2, 2024 / 11:10 am
Jimmy Lai, the embattled Hong Kong Catholic democracy activist, pleaded not guilty on Tuesday to all charges leveled against him in his national security trial there.
Lai, the Chinese-born founder of the anti-government newspaper Apple Daily, entered a not-guilty plea to the charges of conspiring to collude with a foreign power. The 76-year-old Lai was originally arrested in August 2020 under that year’s controversial national security law, which was passed by China’s communist-controlled government. He has been imprisoned by Chinese authorities since his arrest.
Prosecutor Anthony Chau on Tuesday accused Lai of being a “radical figure” who sought to sow hatred and “stir up opposition” in Hong Kong, according to media reports.
Jonathan Price, a member of Lai’s legal team with Doughty Street Chambers in London, said on Tuesday morning that “the pathetically flimsy nature of these charges is becoming plain for all to see.”
