Jimmy Lai trial: activist lobbied foreign politicians to sever extradition treaties with Hong Kong even after national security law took effect, court told

Andy Li, a defendant turned prosecution witness, tells court emergence of ‘political crimes’ in Hong Kong justified his efforts
Prosecutor refers to a series of exchanges between Li and British politician Luke de Pulford after national security law took effect in 2020

Jimmy Lai trial

Brian Wong

Published: 8:16pm, 28 Mar 2024

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An activist allegedly backed by media mogul Jimmy Lai Chee-ying lobbied foreign legislators to sever extradition and criminal justice cooperation treaties with Hong Kong even after the Beijing-decreed national security law came into force four years ago, the tycoon’s trial has heard.

Andy Li Yu-hin, a defendant turned prosecution witness, on Thursday said the emergence of “political crimes” in Hong Kong justified his efforts to get foreign governments to review their legal arrangements with the city.

“The signatories of such treaties may revise or renegotiate the text so as to prevent extradition for political crimes,” Li told West Kowloon Court.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau Tin-hang referred to a series of exchanges between Li and British politician Luke de Pulford, who was involved in founding the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), after the national security law took effect on June 30, 2020.

Briton Luke de Pulford was in contact with Hong Kong acticist Andy Li, the court heard. Photo: SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images

Li said the Beijing-decreed legislation had offered the world “a first-hand taste of why Hongkongers have fought so hard against the extradition bill”, which triggered the anti-government protests in 2019.

“We don’t trust the Beijing government,” he told de Pulford in a message dated July 2. “Now it is the free world’s turn: do you trust your government to not kowtow to Beijing given the lure of trade deals and economic benefits?”

The activist also prepared a list of countries that had agreements with Hong Kong on mutual legal assistance and the surrender of fugitives for de Pulford to follow up on with IPAC, which prosecutors described as a coalition of overseas lawmakers critical of Beijing.

De Pulford in return asked Li to approach then Japanese MP Shiori Kanno to see if she was intent on tabling a bill to amend her country’s legal treaties with Hong Kong.

Hong Kong activist Agnes Chow backed Japanese bill against city, court told

The court heard Canada suspended its extradition treaty with Hong Kong on July 3, which appeared to follow an IPAC subgroup meeting where participants “unanimously agreed that there must be no extradition [to China]”, but the cause-effect relationship remained unclear.

Lai, 76, is standing trial on two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.

De Pulford and Kanno are among four non-Chinese individuals listed as co-conspirators in the indictment.

Prosecutors argued the Apple Daily founder had given instructions to Li via a middleman to trigger sanctions and hostile acts from the West. Lai maintained in a police interview he did not know the activist.

Li pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces in 2021 and is currently being held behind bars pending sentence.

Chau, for the prosecution, referred to a joint statement by politicians from Hong Kong and abroad who slammed the “erosion of Hong Kong’s autonomy and freedoms” and called for “Magnitsky-style targeted sanctions” against China and the city.

The court heard the signatories comprised the city’s opposition district councillors, as well as lawmakers from Canada and Japan.

Chau asked the court to note that the letter, albeit published before the national security law took effect, remained accessible after the legislation’s promulgation and was updated with a new list of signatories on numerous occasions.

The prosecutor also pointed to text messages between Li and de Pulford in late June 2020, where they agreed the Chinese Communist Party must be overthrown to “liberate” Hong Kong and for the city to truly achieve self-governance.

De Pulford warned Hong Kong would be “collateral” in the fight against Beijing, which he considered the “enemy”.

“The question now is how to punish, divide and conquer, and how to use the terrible things that will happen in [Hong Kong] over the next six months to kill the [Communist Party],” the Briton told Li in a message dated June 26, 2020.

“This we know, and we are happy to play this role,” Li responded.

Tycoon Jimmy Lai maintained in a police interview he did not know activist Andy Li. Photo: AP

In subsequent exchanges the same day, Li said economic sanctions on targeted individuals had always been the top priority for him and his comrades, adding the international community should do more than condemning Hong Kong and Beijing officials.

“So far we haven’t seen concrete sanctions falling upon, say Dover or other perpetrators; they still roam free and all we get are ‘condemn’ statements,” Li wrote, referring to now retired assistant police commissioner Rupert Dover, who was one of six ground response commanders during the 2019 protests.

‘Lai’s tabloid ran articles to promote US sanctions after Hong Kong Autonomy Act’

De Pulford echoed the sentiments and noted “we actually need more of this if we are going to take down the [party]”.

But Li stressed he and other campaigners had no reason to go so far as to push for political changes “at Beijing level”.

“Our aim is to first establish [Hong Kong], taking down [the party] might be a secondary motive but it will never be a strong motive for [Hongkongers] to consider sacrificing themselves,” he added.

The trial resumes on April 8.

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