Jimmy Lai takes the stand in Hong Kong
After months of delay, the trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai resumed last week.?
Taking the stand for the first time on Wednesday, Nov. 20, the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, pleaded not guilty to charges of sedition and collusion with foreign forces.
Lai, who was charged under the Beijing-imposed 2020 National Security Law, faces life imprisonment if convicted.
Lai’s trial has attracted significant attention both in Hong Kong and globally.
Outside the courthouse, about 100 supporters lined up in the rain to support Lai. RFA Cantonese captured footage of the heavy police presence and the strict checks on journalists and citizens.?
Meanwhile a group of 118 lawmakers from 24 countries issued a joint open letter condemning the “unfair trial.”
Lai’s case comes a day after a Hong Kong court sentenced 45 democracy activists to up to 10 years in prison for “subversion,” marking the city’s biggest national security trial and sounding a death knell?for its freedom.
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