&imwidth=800&imheight=600&format=webp&quality=medium "Jimmy Lai found guilty of colluding with foreign forces, Hong Kong court convicts Beijing critic under national security law")
Jimmy Lai, the former Hong Kong media mogul and outspoken critic of Beijing, has been convicted in a landmark national security trial. He now faces life in prison. Three government-vetted judges of a Hong Kong city’s court on Monday (Dec 15) found 78-year-old La guilty of conspiring with others to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiracy to publish seditious articles. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Lai wanted to destabilise the government: Court
In a statement, High Court judge Esther Toh said that "There is no doubt in our minds that (Lai) had never wavered in his intention to destabilise the government of the (Chinese Communist Party)." Toh added that “the ultimate cost” of his actions “was to sacrifice the interests of the people” of China and Hong Kong.
Pointing at alleged "resentment" in Lai's heart, Toh told the court that it was "apparent" from his articles. "There is no doubt that (Lai) had harboured his resentment and hatred of the PRC for many of his adult years, and this is apparent in his articles"
She also alleged that the Beijing critic "from an early stage, long before the National Security Law," had been "applying his mind as to what leverage the US could use against the PRC".
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When will Lai be sentenced?
Jimmy Lai, as mentioned previously, faces a maximum penalty of life in prison. His sentence will be announced at a later date. He can still appeal the charges levied against him.
The 78-year-old had previously described himself as a "born rebel". He is known for his defiance against the Chinese Communist Party. 161 of his articles published in Apple Daily were cited in the case against the media mogul. These included op-eds under his byline and online talk shows he hosted, which were deemed seditious under the colonial-era National Security law. Prosecutors also accused him of being the mastermind and financial backer of the protest group "Stand with Hong Kong, Fight for Freedom".
