The Jimmy Lai trial so far: updates on high-profile Hong Kong national security case

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s national security trial, which was postponed three times, started on December 18 last year amid heavy domestic and international scrutiny. The 77-year-old Apple Daily founder is the most prominent figure yet to be prosecuted under the national security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing in 2020 to ban acts of secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Lai faces three conspiracy charges related to sedition and collusion with foreign forces for allegedly calling for international sanctions against authorities and inciting public hatred in the wake of anti-government protests in 2019. The two counts of collusion fall under the national security law, while the other charge is covered by colonial-era sedition legislation. The trial, initially slated for about 80 days, is now expected to run into 2025 as Lai opted to defend his case on the witness box after 92 days of sitting. The Post is summarising each day of proceedings and breaking down the most important legal arguments. Day 155: August 27 Lai’s lawyers presented their final closing arguments, asking the judges to disregard a key prosecution witness’ court testimony concerning how the Apple Daily founder allegedly devised an anti-China strategy through international lobbying. Day 154: August 26 A judge blamed the media for misleading Hong Kong residents into opposing a now-withdrawn extradition bill that triggered the 2019 anti-government protests, in response to the defence’s contention that the government was wrong to brush aside the public outcry over the proposed legal amendment. Day 153: August 25 The defence argued the national security law did not prohibit a person from calling for foreign sanctions against individual Chinese officials, but a judge said that interpretation might not be what Beijing had hoped to achieve when enacting the legislation in 2020. Day 152: August 22 Lai’s lawyers sought to justify his anti-China comments as an exercise of his right to freedom of expression, but a judge dismissed the contention as “la-di-da” and raised the counter-argument that even the United States and Britain would arrest pro-Palestinian protesters. Day 151: August 21 Lai’s lawyers and the bench wrangled over the proper interpretation of the defendant’s allegedly incriminating remarks made after collusion became a crime in June 2020, including his support for the revocation of Hong Kong’s preferential trade status in the United States and comments on Washington’s sanctions on mainland China. Day 150: August 20 Lai’s lawyers started presenting their closing arguments after the prosecution wrapped up its verbal submissions, but two presiding judges cast doubt on the defence’s claim that the tabloid founder was only exercising his fundamental rights. Day 149: August 19 Prosecutors accused Lai of deliberately casting the mainland government in a negative light to provide justification for foreign interference with the country’s internal affairs, while a judge cast doubt on their characterisation of a request to address human rights concerns in trade talks with Beijing as a form of collusion. Day 148: August 18 Prosecutors began their closing speech by contending that Lai was determined to instigate foreign sanctions against mainland China through “long-term and persistent” collaborations with US political figures. They also took the defendant to task over his legal counsel’s “absurd” analogy comparing his advocacy with an international partnership among law enforcement authorities. Day 147: August 15 After a major rainstorm forced a one-day delay to proceedings, the court ordered a further adjournment over concerns about Lai’s health. Day 146: March 11 The judges postponed hearing closing arguments from the bar table until August 14 for prosecutors and defence lawyers to compile a jointly agreed chronology of events pertinent to the trial. Legal counsel for the three Apple Daily companies also standing trial sought the court’s permission to submit documentary proof that one of the firms had no criminal record before the newspaper’s closure, but the bench questioned the relevance of the move. Day 145: March 7 The court reserved eight days from July 28 to hear closing arguments from prosecutors and defence lawyers, with an additional hearing scheduled for March 11 for the judges to address counsel on the points they should focus on in their submissions. Day 144: March 6 Lai completed his oral testimony on his 52nd day in the witness box after confirming the authenticity of work communication records between him and his secretary. His legal team proceeded to submit a series of documentary evidence, including an analysis on certain functions on WhatsApp and a list of approved public processions in 2019, but the presiding judges questioned the relevance of a report showing the veracity of an April 2020 news article, which reportedly provided the factual matrix for Lai to criticise the government in an opinion piece. Day 143: March 5 Lai conceded that he had tried to win a judge’s permission for him to travel to the United States in June 2020, but maintained he did not intend to mislead the court by withholding information about his plan to meet then US vice-president Mike Pence. Day 142: March 3 Lai denied seeking Western “dismemberment” of mainland China while suggesting the country could have “the same government without tyranny”, as prosecutors put their final questions on the last day of cross-examination. Day 141: February 28 Lai admitted he would “take risk” in safeguarding Hongkongers’ freedom after the national security law took effect, but maintained he would not knowingly step into the wrong side of the law. Day 140: February 27 Lai admitted trying to drum up retaliatory measures against the mainland in the United States by making use of anti-China sentiments that permeated American society during the Covid-19 pandemic, but stressed he had ceased making similar appeals after the national security law came into effect. Day 139: February 26 Lai sparked a brief debate over national identity after maintaining he was not Chinese and that the Communist Party of China was an irrelevant subject to Hongkongers. Day 138: February 25 Lai denied testing the limits of the national security law by endorsing the publication of “dangerous” commentaries in his Apple Daily newspaper, in a sitting where he was again cautioned by a judge for making an ironic remark about the prosecutor during cross-examination. Day 137: February 24 Lai maintained he had reasonable grounds to predict Hong Kong would lose its freedom and the rule of law after the enactment of the national security law, while one of the three judges hearing the case warned the defendant not to politicise the trial with gratuitous comments. Day 136: February 20 Lai denied trying to incite hatred towards the authorities through two op-eds published in his Apple Daily newspaper in May 2019 and April 2020, but said he had advocated continued resistance as he believed there was no room for constructive dialogue with the government. Day 135: February 19 Prosecutors scrutinised a January 2020 op-ed by Lai in which he allegedly made unfounded allegations against police and the Communist Party of China, but the presiding judges cast doubt on what appeared to be the prosecution’s contradictory claims concerning the tabloid founder’s stance on protest violence. Day 134: February 18 Lai Chee-ying denied intending to incite violence among radical protesters when he urged them to set up a leadership team in his opinion piece published in Apple Daily on December 22, 2019. He said that he instead wanted the frontline faction to set out some basic principles for its actions and avoid violence. Day 133: February 12 Lai defended the publication of an opinion piece titled “Will US sanction Carrie Lam Cheng Yuet-ngor?” that discussed possible sanctions against the former chief executive, as he believed senior management staff thought it was safe for content that did not advocate penalties to be published, even after the enactment of the national security law. Day 132: February 11 Lai acknowledged being “insensitive” for failing to vet two videos produced by Elmer Yuan Gong-yi, currently a fugitive, who called for US sanctions against Hong Kong and Beijing. The prosecution accused Lai of endorsing the content of Yuan’s videos as they aligned with his objective of gaining international attention to block the imposition of the national security law. Day 131: February 10 Lai denied that he had tried to spread fear in articles that suggested Beijing would take over Hong Kong and turn residents into subservient people if an extradition bill was passed in 2019. But he conceded going too far with claims that central authorities could destroy the “one country, two systems” governing principle. Day 130: February 7 Lai denied knowing about the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, which was formed by mostly Western lawmakers considering action against mainland China before his arrest. Deputy Director of Prosecutions Anthony Chau Tin-hang accused him of lying as he showed the court text exchanges with the group’s creator and Apple Daily’s coverage of its launch. Day 129: February 6 Lai told the court he thought the Beijing-imposed national security law was “more bark than bite” before its enactment, as he was still “hoping for the best”, which was why he launched a campaign to petition then-US president Donald Trump a month before the law was introduced. Day 128: February 5 Lai admitted he had pushed for an unofficial legislative “primary” election in 2020 after prosecutors referred him to text messages showing his interest in the poll. But he denied lying in court with his previous claims that he was “not concerned” with it. Day 127: February 4 Lai denied using an activist as a lobbyist to push for Western sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland China. Day 126: February 3 Lai admitted making a mistake by attempting to meet the US No 2 official after the national security law took effect in June 2020, but stressed he did not try to conceal the plan when seeking a court’s permission to travel by claiming the trip was for family and business purposes. Day 125: January 24 Lai maintained a US lobbyist he previously engaged to connect him with American politicians had advised him on lobbying strategies and targets of sanctions out of his own initiative, while denying his repeated appeals for punitive measures from Washington had prompted some of his associates to take action to make that happen. Day 124: January 23 Lai conceded he had mistakenly believed a US law enabling sanctions against Hong Kong would be “more academic than substance”, while admitting the move aligned with his interests after prosecutors and the three presiding judges challenged his purported indifference to the matter. Day 123: January 22 Lai admitted to calling on the United States to revoke visas granted to the children of Chinese officials before the national security law came into force in June 2020, an idea he earlier attributed to an assistant of then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo. Day 122: January 21 Lai denied instigating opposition against the Hong Kong government at a former US diplomat’s request, but said he nonetheless instructed Apple Daily to highlight Washington’s concerns for the city over a now-withdrawn extradition bill as the American had suggested. Day 121: January 20 Lai denied prosecutors’ contention he had acted as an agent for the United States or Taiwan before the national security law took effect in Hong Kong, but said he was “happy” to help reestablish informal ties between the two governments in a bid to secure protection for the self-ruling island. Day 120: January 17 The court heard Lai paid more than HK$13 million to two former United States officials for their consultancy services to the Taiwanese government, while “unknowingly” paying NT$5.8 million to a top aide of ex-Taiwanese leader Tsai Ing-wen. Day 119: January 16 Prosecutors began cross-examining Lai by highlighting his political influence in the United States. Lai denied acting as a middleman between Taiwan and the US but admitted connecting the self-ruling island with three former American officials to strengthen ties with Washington. Day 118: January 13 Lai sought to justify his open appeals for Chinese President Xi Jinping to step down and for the US government to raise concerns about human rights issues in Hong Kong and Xinjiang during trade talks with Beijing. Day 117: January 9 Lai accused the mainland government of “bullying” Australia with its imposition of tariffs on products from the country, but insisted some trade embargoes were “reasonable” depending on the context. Day 116: January 8 The defendant maintained that his prosecution under the national security law was initiated by political motives, but a judge hearing the trial rejected the contention and said Lai was in jail simply because he was suspected of committing a criminal offence. Day 115: January 7 Lai said Taiwan should join Australia, Japan and India in the US-led Quadrilateral Security Dialogue to protect itself against mainland China, prompting the presiding judges to question his stance on Taiwanese independence. Day 114: January 6, 2025 The trial resumed after a two-week adjournment during the festive season, with Lai denying allegations that he had advocated for Taiwan’s independence and war between the United States and mainland China. Day 113: December 19 Lai said the Covid-19 pandemic showed the “danger” mainland China posed to the world, while suggesting Chinese President Xi Jinping should step down and stop “dictating” the directions of the Communist Party to solve the tensions the nation had with Western countries. Day 112: December 18 Lai said he supported a British government’s decision to grant citizenship to millions of British National (Overseas) passport holders in Hong Kong, but denied the move amounted to a hostile response to Beijing’s imposition of the national security law on the city in June 2020. Day 111: December 17 Lai denied indirectly calling for sanctions from the West with his grim forecast for the mainland Chinese economy, while maintaining that a greater US military presence in the Asia-Pacific region could help minimise the risk of conflict with the country. Day 110: December 16 Lai acknowledged Apple Daily had been “too radical” towards Beijing and Hong Kong authorities, but stressed they were “on the right side of history” and that they would eventually be vindicated without having to confront those in power. Day 109: December 13 Lai admitted to making a “mistake” by allowing a message in support of sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland officials to be shared on his social media account, but said he was “in agreement with” a US bank’s decision to close the account of the top adviser to the city’s leader. Day 108: December 12 Lai denied encouraging international sanctions through praises offered on social media to former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, who called for “a new alliance of democracies” to counter the perceived threat posed by Beijing. Day 107: December 11 Lai said he believed it was “right” for the US government to revoke Hong Kong’s special trade status in the country to put pressure on China, but denied instigating the move through a text message he had asked his assistant to relay to Washington. Day 106: December 10 Lai denied colluding with a former US diplomat who suggested elevating the 2019 anti-government protests in Hong Kong to a global anti-China campaign, saying he had turned down the idea because of the national security law. Day 105: December 9 Lai denied trying to circumvent the national security law through “indirect” appeals for sanctions against Beijing and Hong Kong, but said he had continued to take interview requests from “good” media outlets abroad after consultation with his wife. Day 104: December 6 Lai’s lawyers drew the court’s attention to an unpublished open letter drafted by the Apple Daily founder, who believed he was targeted because he had “embarrassed” Beijing for revealing its “hollow” promises of freedom and democracy for Hong Kong. He also appealed to his “American friends” to remember him and the Hongkongers fighting for the same values they shared. Day 103: December 5 Lai said he was wrong to believe at first that the national security law would not mark the “end” of Hong Kong as an international financial centre. He also said he did not believe Beijing and city authorities would spare him from prosecution despite promises that the legislation would not be applied retroactively to penalise past offensive conduct. Day 102: December 4 Lai maintained he had done nothing illegal since Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong in June 2020, saying he abandoned his “fight for freedom” because the city was already “beyond redemption”. Day 101: December 3 Lai said he had opposed Washington’s decision to remove Hong Kong’s preferential trade status in the US, noting the move would be counterproductive to an effort to stop Beijing from imposing the 2020 national security law on the city. Day 100: December 2 Lai admitted he called on the US to engage in and win a “war of values” against China, adding he was “desperate” for “any support” after the national security law took effect in Hong Kong in June 2020. Day 99: November 29 Lai said he had wished for “more draconian” sanctions from the United States ahead of Hong Kong’s adoption of the 2020 national security law, adding he would “persist in staying [in the city] to face” any potential consequences of his actions. Day 98: November 28 Lai said he had advocated for peaceful and rational protests during the 2019 anti-government unrest to win the international community’s sympathy and put pressure on Beijing, while maintaining that sanctions and trade blockades were not enough to topple the Communist Party of China. Day 97: November 27 Lai admitted he might have asked former US secretary of state Mike Pompeo to impose sanctions on Beijing and Hong Kong after the city authorities’ crackdown on the 2019 anti-government protests. He also tried to distance himself from the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” lobbying group. Day 96: November 25 Lai said he had intended for Apple Daily to run “negative” news articles about the mainland in English on its website to attract US readers, while telling the court he did not believe a newspaper’s credibility was built upon balanced reporting. Day 95: November 22 Lai said he had tried to seek “political protection” from the US to stave off what he saw as Beijing’s encroachment on fundamental freedoms through the imposition of the 2020 national security law, but denied inciting hatred through Apple Daily. Day 94: November 21 Lai revealed he had “internal” sources within the United States government but denied pressuring his now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper into suggesting which Beijing and Hong Kong officials should be sanctioned by Washington. Day 93: November 20 Lai took the witness box for the first time in his marathon trial. He admitted he had made numerous donations to local and overseas groups but denied prosecutors’ contention that he had used his connections to manipulate foreign policies on Hong Kong and China. Day 92: July 25 The court dismissed Lai’s request for early discharge after finding a case to answer against him. The defence said the tycoon intended to testify when the trial resumed in November. Day 91: July 24 Lai’s legal counsel asked the court to discharge the tycoon on the grounds that the prosecution’s evidence was so “tenuous” no reasonable person could convict him. But the three presiding judges expressed reservations and said the factual disputes of the case should be decided at the end of the trial. Day 90: June 11 The court adjourned hearing submissions from the bar table until July 24, two weeks later than initially scheduled, as one of the judges is engaged in another national security case involving 47 opposition figures. Prosecutors also officially closed their case after submitting a set of revised documentary evidence. Day 89: June 5 The judges adjourned the trial for six days so prosecutors can make corrections to several items of translated documentary evidence after they finished playing the remaining video footage connected to the case. Lai’s defence team will present arguments on July 9 in support of an application to acquit the tycoon based on a failure to establish a prima facie case after the prosecution closes its case. Day 88: June 4 The court resumed watching the video evidence after Lai’s senior counsel confirmed his client “is feeling much better now and the case can proceed”. Day 87: June 3 The judges decided to adjourn the hearing after Lai’s senior counsel said his client fell ill and was “visibly shaking” before the court session despite being prescribed Panadol the night before. Days 80 to 86: May 21 to 29 Prosecutors played footage of the tycoon hosting a series of interviews with foreign political pundits on the online broadcast programme “Live Chat with Jimmy Lai”. The video also included Lai’s interviews with overseas media before his prosecution. Day 79: May 20 Defence lawyers revealed they were seeking Lai’s acquittal in the middle of the trial on the grounds that prosecutors failed to establish a prima facie case against the former media boss, with submissions scheduled to be heard in June. Day 78: May 17 Lai’s lawyers alleged that national security police had “coached” key prosecution witness and former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung before he gave evidence in court earlier this year. Day 77: May 16 Lai’s defence team began cross-examining police witnesses involved in handling the case after the court snubbed a request to reopen the team’s cross-examination of former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung over the now-defunct tabloid’s internal messaging records. Day 76: May 14 Three judges hearing the trial appeared unconvinced by a defence contention that Lai would be substantially prejudiced if his lawyers were not allowed to cross-examine former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung again over the now-defunct tabloid’s internal messaging records. Day 75: May 13 A lawyer representing Jimmy Lai took to the witness box to explain the reasons for a defence request to recall prosecution witness and former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung to testify again in relation to the now-defunct tabloid’s internal messaging records. Day 74: May 10 Legal scholar Wang Guiguo argued that “severe” United States sanctions imposed on Hong Kong and mainland Chinese officials amounted to “coercion” as they were based on “highly subjective” assessments of what was seen as the targeted individuals’ contributions to the erosion of the city’s autonomy. Day 73: May 9 Former Next Digital executive Royston Chow Tat-kuen said he did not find it suspicious that his former boss Lai loaned HK$500 million to the media company when it was running at a loss in 2019 and 2020 before its winding-up. Day 72: May 8 Former Next Digital executive Royston Chow Tat-kuen acknowledged he had endorsed payments from Jimmy Lai’s bank accounts to the tycoon’s assistant, Mark Simon, without always knowing what they were for. He said Lai had never raised an objection to the American’s requests for funding for his personal “projects”. Day 71: May 7 Prosecution witness Royston Chow Tat-kuen, a former Next Digital executive, said Jimmy Lai greenlit the transfer of a private firm under his name to Wayland Chan Tsz-wah, a middleman linking up the former media boss with a global lobbying group, as a reward for “help” given in 2019. Day 70: May 6 Jimmy Lai pushed for the passage of a US bill to grant refugee status to Hongkongers and hosted live interview shows online with overseas guests in furtherance of his anti-China conspiracy, paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah told the court. Day 69: May 3 Paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah said he had wanted Lai’s assistant, Mark Simon, to help him escape from Hong Kong after he was first arrested in October 2020. He also denied fabricating his court evidence to get a lighter sentence. Day 68: April 29 Paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah admitted he tried to find a “safe house” for activist Andy Li Yu-hin, who was arrested under the national security law, and discussed with him ways to avoid police detection in his failed attempt to escape Hong Kong in August 2020. Day 67: April 26 Paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah admitted fabricating evidence during a 2020 interview with police in a bid to exonerate himself and an activist linked to a global lobbying group, but rejected the defence’s notions that Lai had never expressed an intent to unite all opposition forces and push for China’s “implosion”. Day 66: April 25 Key prosecution witness Wayland Chan Tsz-wah admitted lying and providing false information to law enforcement upon being cross-examined by Lai’s defence counsel over the veracity of claims he made in a 2020 police interview after his arrest. Day 65: April 24 Paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah said international lobbying became difficult after Jimmy Lai’s arrest as businessmen and politicians in the West started severing ties with him, but the tycoon felt it could attract international attention and boost the sales of his now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid. Day 64: April 23 Jimmy Lai was convinced he would not be prosecuted under the national security law – which he believed was “all bark and no bite” – and insisted that efforts to attract international sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland China should continue even after the legislation took effect, the trial heard. Day 63: April 19 Paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah said two activists linked to a global campaign group agreed to follow Jimmy Lai’s instructions after the tycoon shared with them his four-step plan to trigger China’s “implosion” through international lobbying, paving the way for the introduction of US-style democracy. Day 62: April 17 Lai called for an unofficial primary election in 2020 and planned to back localist hopefuls in a bid to boost the opposition camp’s chances of securing a controlling majority in the Legislative Council, prosecution witness Wayland Chan Tsz-wah told the trial. Day 61: April 16 Jimmy Lai sought to assume control over radical protesters in the 2019 social unrest, knowing the United States would only continue to support the Hong Kong demonstrations if there was an end to violence, key prosecution witness Wayland Chan Tsz-wah told the court. Day 60: April 15 Lai’s plan to “purify” the 2019 social unrest by convincing radical protesters to exercise restraint stemmed from a fear that continued chaos and violence would discourage the United States from offering support, the trial heard. Day 59: April 12 Paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah explained his links to Lai and his personal assistant Mark Simon. Chan said he had approached the tycoon through veteran democrat Martin Lee Chu-ming to get financial support for a global advertising campaign against the Hong Kong government in June 2019. Day 58: April 11 Detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin revealed he was told to escape to Taiwan and then to the United Kingdom after he was arrested for suspected collusion with foreign forces in August 2020. He also denied receiving instruction from Lai or his associates concerning his work with two political groups, which prosecutors said had called for sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland China. Day 57: April 10 Key prosecution witness Andy Li Yu-hin said he did not receive a penny from Lai or make direct contact with him when he devoted himself to a global lobbying effort to trigger international action against Hong Kong and mainland China in 2019 and 2020. Day 56: April 9 Detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin said he had considered setting up a government-in-exile to further his push for international sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland China after the national security law came into force in June 2020. Day 55: April 8 The court was told three overseas individuals, including UK-based financier Bill Browder, were involved in a push for Japanese sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland China after Beijing’s imposition of a national security law on the city four years ago. Day 54: March 28 Detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin said he had lobbied Western parliamentarians to suspend extradition treaties and mutual legal assistance agreements with Hong Kong even after the Beijing-imposed national security law took effect in June 2020. Day 53: March 27 British political activist Luke de Pulford asked Lai to provide media coverage for the founding of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China and discussed with members of an international lobbying group possible actions foreign lawmakers could take against mainland China, the trial heard. Day 52: March 25 Opposition activist Agnes Chow Ting supported Japanese sanctions against Hong Kong for alleged human rights breaches during the city’s 2019 protests, key prosecution witness Andy Li told the court. Day 51: March 22 An international lobbying group reportedly backed by Lai had rallied for Japanese lawmakers’ support for a bill allowing the country to sanction the Hong Kong government for alleged human rights violations during the 2019 social unrest, the trial was told. Day 50: March 21 An international lobbying group said to be backed by Lai provided a sanctions list targeting more than 140 Hong Kong individuals in its push for the United States to hold them accountable over alleged human rights abuses, the court heard. Day 49: March 20 Detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin told the court the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” campaign group, which Lai was said to have supported behind the scenes, had wanted the US and the United Nations’ top human rights body to take action against mainland China in response to Hong Kong’s crackdown on the 2019 protests. Day 48: March 19 The trial heard Lai’s right-hand man Mark Simon handled HK$14 million (US$1.8 million) in crowdfunding donations to help set up a trust fund in the United States, to support an advocacy group’s effort in instigating international actions against the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese governments. Day 47: March 18 Detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin said an international lobbying group he was in had set up a trust fund in the United States to avoid being targeted by Hong Kong authorities and called on Britain to impose sanctions on mainland China. Day 46: March 15 An international lobbying group led by campaigner Finn Lau Cho-dik sought UK politicians’ involvement in Hong Kong affairs in its push for British action against the city’s crackdown on protests, as well as over the Beijing-imposed national security law, detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin told the court. Day 45: March 14 Opposition activist Agnes Chow Ting and localist party Demosisto, of which she was a standing committee member before its dissolution, were involved in an international campaign to place political advertisements in 13 countries calling for action against the Hong Kong government in 2019, the trial heard. Day 44: March 13 Detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin started giving evidence for the prosecution, saying he was behind an international campaign to drum up support for the 2019 anti-government protests. Two companies allegedly controlled by Lai had made advance payments on Li’s behalf for the initiative, he added. Day 43: March 12 Apple Daily published commentaries critical of the government to attract readers, Lai’s legal counsel said, but former editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee rejected the contention. He compared the tabloid’s level of editorial freedom with what he called “birdcage autonomy”. Day 42: March 11 Lai praised the United States for taking advantage of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s “weak” administration to start what he called a “full-scale war” with the country in mid-2018, the trial heard. Day 41: March 8 Apple Daily published a series of commentaries on US-China relations to promote international sanctions after the Hong Kong Autonomy Act was signed by then president Donald Trump, said ex-editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee, who was also asked to explain the stances of various contributors, including two former chairmen of the Democratic Party. Day 40: March 7 Former editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee said Apple Daily continued to promote international sanctions against mainland and city officials after the national security law took effect by running articles purporting to analyse the impact of foreign governments’ actions – an editorial approach he described as “playing with the edge”. Day 39: March 6 Apple Daily stopped running commentary articles by pro-establishment figures after its founder Lai turned “radical” in 2018, ex-editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee said, adding that the opinions expressed had to be consistent with the tycoon’s views. Day 38: March 5 Lai provided “guiding principles” to Apple Daily staff in selecting contributors and articles through his personal column, ex-editorial writer Yeung Ching-kee said, adding the tycoon was supportive of US sanctions and believed they served to underline the country’s support for Hong Kong. Day 37: March 4 Lai turned “radical” and changed Apple Daily’s editorial approach after the US-China trade war kicked off in 2018 under the administration of then US president Donald Trump, ex-editorial writer turned prosecution witness Yeung Ching-kee told the court. Day 36: March 1 One of the three judges hearing the trial questioned whether purported words of encouragement from Lai could be used to support his conviction, after prosecutors alleged Lai told Apple Daily staff to “hang in there” following his prosecution in December 2020. Day 35: February 29 Lai had the ultimate authority on Apple Daily’s editorial matters, former associate publisher Chan Pui-man said, as she pushed back against the defence’s contention that the tycoon was only interested in how to better manage the outlet and improve the quality of its content. Day 34: February 28 Lai’s lawyers argued the tycoon never told Apple Daily to draw up a list of city and mainland officials for the United States to sanction, saying a forwarded text message from him had been mistaken for an instruction to editorial staff. Day 33: February 27 Apple Daily maintained its overall editorial approach after Lai was prosecuted for allegedly violating the national security law, former associate publisher Chan Pui-man said, but added the tabloid made some concessions to avoid offending the authorities. Day 32: February 26 Prosecutors argued Apple Daily played up a report on potential US sanctions on mainland and Hong Kong officials at the behest of Lai, but ex-associate publisher Chan Pui-man defended the tabloid’s decision and said it was in line with journalistic principles. Day 31: February 22 Lai asked Apple Daily staff whether the tabloid could prepare a list of mainland and Hong Kong officials to be sanctioned by the United States after then president Donald Trump introduced plans to penalise those said to have contributed to the erosion of the city’s autonomy, ex-associate publisher Chan Pui-man told the court. Day 30: February 21 Apple Daily launched a letter campaign to petition former US president Donald Trump to stop Beijing from imposing the national security law on Hong Kong at the request of Lai, who snubbed objections from a senior executive and insisted it was the only way the city could be “saved”, the trial heard. Day 29: February 20 Ex-associate publisher Chan Pui-man said Lai intended to mobilise an “international front” against mainland China by launching an English digital edition of Apple Daily to draw US support, adding the tycoon’s personal assistant, Mark Simon, had played a part in the efforts. Day 28: February 19 Prosecutors alleged that Apple Daily recruited prominent political figures to boost support for Lai and Apple Daily. Veteran democrat Martin Lee Chu-ming was said to have appealed to the public for backing by criticising the “authoritarian” regime of the Communist Party. Day 27: February 9 Ex-associate publisher Chan Pui-man said Lai’s appeal to residents to stand against “totalitarianism” said to be embodied by the Hong Kong government prompted the tabloid to play up news about Beijing’s alleged concealment of information in the first wave of Covid-19 infections in early 2020. Day 26: February 8 Prosecutors accused Apple Daily of publishing a photobook titled Freedom 2019 Summer that carried the slogan “punish killers with voters” ahead of the district council election that year. The court heard that some copies sold for HK$10 each, with the proceeds going to the now-defunct 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which offered financial help to anti-government protesters in need of legal services. Day 25: February 7 Ex-associate publisher Chan Pui-man said Lai asked colleagues to proliferate sentiments sympathising with the storming of the Legco complex by demonstrators in 2019, prompting them to cover the anti-government movement with the “intention” to drum up support for the protests. Day 24: February 6 Lai texted former associate publisher Chan Pui-man before the city’s first protest against an extradition bill in April 2019 and asked her to come up with ways to boost the turnout, a court was told. The tabloid published a double-page cartoon that portrayed the legislation as an “evil law” and carried advertisements that opposed the passage of the amendment. Day 23: February 5 Former associate publisher Chan Pui-man said she was instructed by Lai to help the British-based group Hong Kong Watch when it was established in 2017, and Apple Daily later described its co-founder Benedict Rogers as “Man of the year” for that year in a news report. Day 22: February 2 Ex-publisher Cheung Kim-hung said Apple Daily ran a series of news reports under the heading “End of the two systems” to reflect Lai’s views on the impact the security law had on the city, while his former subordinate Chan Pui-man, who worked at the tabloid for 25 years, began to testify against the founder. Day 21: February 1 Cheung Kim-hung denied being persuaded by police to testify against his former boss and said he acted on Jimmy Lai’s instructions to run Apple Daily after the national security law took effect until the tabloid folded. Day 20: January 31 Cheung Kim-hung denied tailoring his evidence to corroborate the prosecution’s case that Lai had instructed Apple Daily staff to publish seditious articles and trigger international sanctions against mainland China, but the defendant turned prosecution witness agreed that the paper exercised caution in its reporting after the national security law came into force. Day 19: January 30 Lai’s counsel argued the tycoon’s letter campaign to petition former US president Donald Trump was intended to trigger the American government’s “diplomatic efforts”, but ex-publisher Cheung Kim-hung disagreed and maintained the tycoon intended to attract sanctions against mainland China for imposing the national security law on Hong Kong. Day 18: January 29 Lai’s legal team sought to downplay the tycoon’s role in Apple Daily’s editorial decisions and highlight the input of senior executives as they began cross-examining the evidence of ex-publisher Cheung Kim-hung, but the defendant turned prosecution witness rejected their contention and insisted he and his colleagues had “no choice” but to oblige. Day 17: January 26 Lai told Apple Daily to tone down criticism of Donald Trump in its coverage of the 2020 United States presidential election, said ex-publisher Cheung Kim-hung, who also revealed the reasons for the tycoon’s insistence on conducting a live broadcast interview with a former US army general after the national security law took effect in Hong Kong. Day 16: January 25 Lai remained in “great fighting spirit” after he was remanded in custody in December 2020, according to ex-Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung, who said the tycoon had instructed the newspaper to continue its “pro-resistance” approach and focus its English-language coverage on mainland China so as to “influence international discourse”. Day 15: January 24 Prosecutors turned their focus towards Apple Daily’s English edition, which ex-publisher Cheung Kim-hung said was intended by Lai to fuel anti-China sentiments in the United States and instigate sanctions and other hostile acts towards Beijing. Day 14: January 23 Cheung Kim-hung said Lai had instructed Apple Daily staff to show support for radical protesters during the 2019 anti-government unrest and launch a campaign to encourage readers to seek then US president Donald Trump’s intervention in Beijing’s imposition of the national security law on Hong Kong. Day 13: January 19 Lai radicalised Apple Daily after a high-level meeting with top United States officials in July 2019, former publisher Cheung Kim-hung said. He added the tycoon had instructed the newspaper’s senior editorial staff to give in-depth coverage of a bookseller who left for Taiwan after claiming he had been abducted by mainland Chinese authorities, as well as former Hong Kong governor Chris Patten’s views on that year’s extradition bill. Day 12: January 18 Former Apple Daily publisher Cheung Kim-hung testified that the launch of Apple Daily’s English edition in May 2020 was in line with Lai’s instruction to expand US readership. A series of live videos that showed Lai in discussion with overseas academics and politicians was intended to develop the narrative of Beijing’s “oppression” of Hong Kong after the national security law took effect, Cheung told the court. Day 11: January 17 Ex-publisher Cheung Kim-hung started giving evidence for the prosecution, saying Lai – the newspaper’s “helmsman”, “top leader” and “ultimate decision-maker” – had asked editorial staff to promote resistance against authorities and seek foreign interventions in the city’s 2019 anti-government protests. Day 10: January 16 The court overruled Lai’s objection to the prosecution’s submission of a university professor’s opinion on US sanctions. Without making specific references, the bench also criticised foreign countries’ lack of respect for Hong Kong’s rule of law in seeking to influence the city’s internal affairs. Day 9: January 10 The prosecution read out a police financial investigation report and revealed Lai, either directly or indirectly through his right-hand man Mark Simon and companies under their control, had transferred large sums to Hong Kong and US political entities, including a former senior United States official, an American think tank and various opposition parties. Day 8: January 9 The prosecution and defence discussed the trial’s schedule, including when to call the case’s key witnesses to the stand, after Lai’s lead counsel took a two-week leave of absence for personal reasons. The prosecution also read out a statement from an information security academic about the features and operations of a variety of social media platforms. Day 7: January 8 The prosecution read out a set of undisputed facts and revealed national security police had earlier obtained a court order forcing Japanese newspaper Nikkei’s Hong Kong office to explain its dealings with activist Agnes Chow Ting and another regarding a political advertisement in August 2019. Day 6: January 4 The prosecution wrapped up its three-day opening statement after outlining details of how Lai allegedly orchestrated an anti-China campaign titled “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” in 2019 by paying more than HK$8.9 million (US$1.14 million) to support the publication of propaganda and related articles in overseas media. Day 5: January 3 The prosecution’s opening statement continued for the second day, with a focus on Lai’s allegedly seditious remarks made in a series of commentaries and media interviews, as well as instructions he was said to have given Apple Daily staff and associates to use the newspaper to try to bring international sanctions against Beijing. Day 4: January 2, 2024 The prosecution made its opening arguments after Lai pleaded not guilty to the three charges. Prosecutors told the court that the tycoon was a “radical political figure” who had capitalised on the social unrest in 2019 to pursue his “criminal” agenda. They also accused him of helping to instigate hostile actions by at least eight foreign powers against Beijing and Hong Kong authorities. Day 3: December 22 The three judges presiding over the trial dismissed an application from the tycoon’s legal team to drop the sedition charge. The court ruled that prosecutors had not violated the Criminal Procedure Ordinance in laying the charge against Lai. They also dismissed a defence contention that the charge was filed too late. Day 2: December 19 The court adjourned to make a ruling on whether to drop the sedition charge against Lai. Prosecutors insisted they had not acted too late since the alleged conspiracy involved an ongoing incident. Day 1: December 18, 2023 Lai’s legal team submitted verbal arguments to support their application to have the sedition charge against the tycoon dismissed. The defence insisted that the prosecution had passed the statutory six-month time limit, as stipulated in the Crimes Ordinance, when the charge was laid.

The Jimmy Lai trial so far: updates on high-profile Hong Kong national security case

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}Lai faces three charges related to sedition and collusion with foreign forces for allegedly calling for sanctions against authorities and inciting public hatred

Day 155: August 27

Lai faces three charges related to sedition and collusion with foreign forces for allegedly calling for sanctions against authorities and inciting public hatred