Jimmy Lai trial: Japanese paper made to explain dealings with activists, including Agnes Chow, in Apple Daily owner’s case, Hong Kong court hears
- A warrant signed on August 6, 2020, had demanded that Nikkei China (Hong Kong) submit to police any exchanges it had with Chow and fellow activist Andy Li
- Police obtained emails between Nikkei, Chow, Li and paralegal Wayland Chan after paper ran political advertisement in response to 2019 anti-government protests
A Japanese newspaper’s Hong Kong branch was forced under the national security law to explain its dealings with two opposition activists, including Agnes Chow Ting, who were allegedly involved in an international lobbying campaign orchestrated by media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, a court heard on Monday.
The name of Chow, 27, was mentioned for the first time in the tycoon’s national security trial as it entered its seventh day in West Kowloon Court.
The prosecution said a Court of First Instance judge signed a warrant on August 6, 2020, demanding that Nikkei China (Hong Kong) submit to police any exchanges it had with Chow and fellow activist Andy Li Yu-hin.
Nikkei ran a political advertisement on August 19, 2019 titled “For Freedom’s Sake, Together with Hong Kong” calling on the Japanese government and lawmakers to “act for freedom” in response to the city’s anti-government protests that year.
Police subsequently obtained copies of six emails between Nikkei, Chow, Li and paralegal Wayland Chan Tsz-wah between August 14 and 22 of 2019, the content of which was not explained in Monday’s session. Chow’s involvement was limited to the August 14 email in which she was a recipient, the court heard.