UK politician asked Jimmy Lai to cover foreign efforts to retaliate against 2020 national security law, Hong Kong court hears
- Court hears UK politician Luke de Pulford approached Lai about publicising launch of Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China
- Organisation was founded in early June of 2020 to discuss issues such as Beijing’s imposition of national security law later that year
West Kowloon Court also heard on Wednesday that British politician Luke de Pulford approached now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid founder Lai to publicise the launch of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC).
The international organisation was set up in early June 2020 to bring politicians from around the globe together to discuss issues such as the West’s trade reliance on China and Beijing’s imposition of the national security law on Hong Kong later that month.
Messages between activist Andy Li Yu-hin and de Pulford, who was involved in founding the alliance, show the former asking the UK politician if he needed “support” from Hong Kong media outlets.
“Yes, I’m just briefing Jimmy L. Will give you press release [sic],” de Pulford replied.
Li, a defendant turned prosecution witness, confirmed Lai was the person referred to by the UK politician in the messages, but said he was unsure what the Briton hoped to achieve.
