A Hong Kong court is due to deliver its verdict on Monday in the trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple dailyHe was prosecuted for conspiracy to commit sedition and collusion with foreign forces. This case has become a symbol of the radical transformation of the former British colony since the crackdown imposed by Beijing after the large-scale protests of 2019.
Seventy-eight-year-old Jimmy Lai was arrested in 2020 under the national security law imposed by China to quell mass protests against the government. His 156-day trial was closely watched by foreign governments and political observers, who saw it as a major test of judicial independence and press freedom in Hong Kong, guarantees supposedly secured during the 1997 handover to China.
Long considered an Asian bastion of free speech, the city has seen its political and media landscape profoundly transformed. The national security law has enabled the prosecution of numerous activists and opposition leaders, leading to the closure of dozens of civil society organizations and the emigration of thousands of residents abroad. Jimmy Lai was one of the first prominent figures to be indicted under this law.
A former textile magnate who became a press boss after the Tiananmen crackdown in 1989, Jimmy Lai defended the idea that information was inseparable from freedom. Apple daily It had established itself through its popular tone, its staunch support for democracy, and its repeated calls for citizen mobilization. Arrested during a dramatic raid on its offices in 2020, it has been detained since December of that year. The newspaper was forced to close in 2021 after its assets were frozen, its last edition having sold out in a matter of hours.
At the heart of the accusations is the idea that Jimmy Lai sought to push the United States and other countries to sanction China. While he has acknowledged advocating for such measures before the national security law came into effect, he claims to have stopped afterward. Prosecutors nevertheless believe he continued to try to influence international opinion through his writings and public statements, an analysis vigorously contested by his defense, which invokes freedom of expression.
Jimmy Lai's international relations have also been extensively scrutinized, particularly his meetings with senior US officials during the 2019 protests. The prosecution sees this as evidence of a consistent desire to solicit hostile actions against Beijing, while the defense denounces a misinterpretation of political and media contacts. Several former executives of Apple daily pleaded guilty and testified against him, further complicating the case.
British citizen Jimmy Lai enjoys the open support of Washington and London, which are calling for his release. Beijing, on the other hand, describes him as a tool of foreign forces hostile to China. Physically weakened, according to his family, he faces, if convicted, sentences of up to life imprisonment. The verdict expected on Monday could mark a lasting turning point for Hong Kong and its political future.
