Jimmy Lai trial: Chinese Communist Party mouthpiece calls Western politicians ‘shameless liars’, accuses them of glorifying Hong Kong tycoon
- People’s Daily publishes strongly worded commentary taking aim at Western politicians, media outlets as Apple Daily founder’s trial enters 10th day
- ‘Those American and Western politicians and media have spared no effort to glorify Lai and demand justice for him loudly,’ Communist Party newspaper says
The 76-year-old faces two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law and a third conspiracy charge stemming from colonial-era sedition legislation.
Tuesday’s commentary described some politicians and media in the West as “despicable and shameless liars”, accusing them of misleading public opinion and undermining rights to a fair trial by glorifying Lai as an “upright media personality”, a “devout Christian” and a “fighter for freedom, democracy and human rights”.
“The devil is the devil. Paints cannot hide his ugly and ferocious face,” it said. “Those American and Western politicians and media have spared no effort to glorify Lai and demand justice for him loudly. Do they want to indicate that they are in the same league?”