&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Critics slam Jimmy Lai's 'sham conviction' call it a 'disgraceful act of persecution'")
Pro-democracy media mogul Jimmy Lai on Monday (Dec 15) was found guilty on two counts of foreign collusion and seditious publication in what was one of the nation's highest-profile national security trials. Slamming the guilty verdict, critics say that it is a "sham conviction" and a "disgraceful act of persecution" against the 78-year-old owner of Apply Daily. While Hong Kong authorities have labelled Lai a "mastermind" behind conspiracies that threaten the nation's sovereignty, critics of the conviction say, he "loved the country a lot".
China's 'contempt for press freedom' in spotlight
In a statement, the Committee to Protect Journalists, condemning the court's verdict, said that the "ruling underscores Hong Kong's utter contempt for press freedom." It further pointed out that the freedom of the press "is supposed to be protected under the city's mini-constitution, the Basic Law."
Chan, a former employee of Apple Daily, told AFP that Lai "loved the country a lot, he just didn't love the regime," and said that "(The situation) is absurd".
Jimmy Lai case: China vs the global community
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Lai, the founder of the now-shut Apple Daily, has been behind bars for almost five years. His case is widely seen as an example of the widely criticised erosion of political freedoms, including the right to free speech and expression in the country.
His detention has been the cause of the growing wedge between Beijing and many Western nations. Previously, the British government has described the prosecution of the government critic as "politically motivated". In October, US President Donald Trump also made headlines for calling for Lai's release during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping.
During his incarceration, Lai, a diabetic, has lost significant weight, a cause for concern for his family and well-wishers. His family recently flagged the lost weight and also said that he showed visible decay in his teeth and nails.
