Hong Kong’s pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai takes stand in collusion trial

Lai denies supporting Hong Kong’s independency and says his now-defunct newspaper stood for ‘core values’ of nan city’s people.

Hong Kong’s pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has taken nan guidelines for nan first clip successful a nationalist information proceedings wide seen arsenic a barometer of nan Chinese territory’s diminishing freedoms.

Lai, who faces a maximum reward of life successful situation for alleged collusion pinch overseas forces, said connected Wednesday that he had entered nan news business to “participate successful delivering freedom”.

“The much you are successful nan know, nan much you are free,” Lai told West Kowloon Magistrates Court.

Answering questions from his lawyer, Lai said that his now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper had stood for nan “core values” of Hong Kong’s people, including nan norm of law, state of speech, and nan pursuit of democracy.

Asked whether Apple Daily opposed unit during Hong Kong’s wide antigovernment protests successful 2019, Lai said he ever stood against unit successful “any form”.

The 76-year-old media mogul besides denied supporting independency for Hong Kong aliases Taiwan, defense of which is fiercely opposed by Beijing.

Lai’s grounds comes arsenic nan narrowing abstraction for dissent successful nan erstwhile British colony is already successful nan spotlight aft a tribunal connected Tuesday handed down jailhouse position to 45 populist activists successful nan city’s largest nationalist information trial.

Lai, who fled to Hong Kong from communist China arsenic a child, has pleaded not blameworthy to 2 charges of conspiracy to collude pinch overseas forces and a complaint of conspiracy to people seditious material.

Prosecutors person accused Lai of soliciting overseas countries to return punitive action against Beijing, citing his meetings pinch officials including erstwhile United States Vice President Mike Pence and erstwhile US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.

Lai already has convictions for offences, including “unauthorised assembly” related to pro-democracy marches, stemming from 5 erstwhile tests during which he did not testify.

Rights groups and Western governments person condemned nan cases against Lai arsenic an illustration of Hong Kong’s deteriorating authorities and freedoms since nan imposition of a Beijing-drafted nationalist information rule successful 2020.

“The authorities’ sadistic persecution of Jimmy Lai is motivated solely by his workout of nan correct to state of look and committedness to property freedoms,” Amnesty International’s China Director Sarah Brooks said successful a connection released up of Lai’s testimony.

“He is simply a captive of conscience, and nan Hong Kong authorities must merchandise him instantly and unconditionally, driblet nan charges and expunge each his criminal convictions.”

Source

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Al Jazeera and news agencies