"The Apple Daily founder has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to foreign collusion under the security law, which carry a maximum penalty of life in prison, as well as one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications. The case has grown into a wedge between Beijing and many western nations, with Donald Trump reportedly calling for Lai's release during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping in October."
"Lai turned 78 last week and once described himself as a born rebel. He loudly defied the Chinese Communist party for years, while amassing millions from his clothing and media empires. He became a prime target after Beijing imposed the sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020, a year after huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the finance hub."
Verdicts in Jimmy Lai's national security trial will be delivered on Monday. Lai has pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiracy to foreign collusion under the security law and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications. The security-law charges carry a maximum penalty of life in prison. High Court judges Esther Toh, Alex Lee and Susana D'Almada Remedios will begin delivering their verdicts at 10am local time. If convicted, Lai will likely be sentenced later and can appeal. Beijing said it firmly supports Hong Kong in safeguarding national security and punishing acts that endanger it. Lai is a British citizen who has been jailed since 31 December 2020 and his fitness for trial is disputed.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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