Closing arguments in Lai trial delayed by health, weather

Hong Kong’s high-profile national security trial of Jimmy Lai entered the final phase as closing arguments were pushed back to the next court session to accommodate medical concerns and a weather disruption, underscoring the case’s status as one of the city’s most closely watched legal proceedings. Lai, the 77-year-old founder of Apple Daily, faces charges of conspiring with foreign powers and publishing seditious material related to the 2019 prodemocracy movement. If convicted, he could face life in prison. He has been detained since December 2020, largely in solitary confinement, as the trial stretched beyond its originally forecast timeline.

The case centers on Lai’s role in Apple Daily, a pro-democracy newspaper that was shut down in 2021 after police raids and asset freezes tied to the security crackdown Beijing imposed following the city’s 2019 protests. Beyond the central charge of foreign collusion, prosecutors allege 161 op-eds carried by Lai and published under his byline contributed to seditious intent. A three-judge panel has overseen the long-running proceedings, which began in December 2023 and have featured extensive testimony from Lai on his political beliefs,...