Hong Kong judge slams Jimmy Lai’s self-proclaimed stance as ‘political prisoner’

Court rejects Lai’s claims of ‘persecution’, while former media boss insists Hongkongers no longer enjoyed freedoms as before

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Images of Jimmy Lai on copies of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper. Photo: AP

Published: 6:53pm, 8 Jan 2025Updated: 8:54pm, 8 Jan 2025

A Hong Kong judge trying Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has hit back at the former media boss’ characterisation of himself as a political prisoner “persecuted” under the national security law, saying he is in jail purely for legal reasons.

Lai said on Wednesday that he did not believe Hongkongers still enjoyed freedom and the protection of the rule of law because he felt some prosecutions made after the Beijing-imposed legislation took effect in June 2020 had been politically driven, including his.

But the founder of the now-closed Apple Daily tabloid newspaper expressed optimism that his legal woes were also a “wonderful” opportunity to draw international attention to Hong Kong again, just when the world was shifting its focus away from the city previously wracked by protests.

Lai was testifying for the 24th day in his marathon trial at West Kowloon Court after the three presiding High Court judges found he had a case to answer on two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.

The 77-year-old allegedly attracted sanctions and other hostile responses from the United States and its allies while inciting hatred towards the mainland Chinese and Hong Kong authorities through comments made in newspaper columns, on social media and in the online commentary series “Live Chat with Jimmy Lai”.

The court heard former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten appeared as a guest in an episode of the series on November 13, 2020, in which he suggested a possible response to Beijing’s threat to Western democracies was by “continuing to stand up for people who’ve been so brave in Hong Kong”.