San Francisco Frontiers - Defence begins closing arguments in Hong Kong trial of Jimmy Lai

The 77-year-old founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper has contested two counts of foreign collusion, with authorities accusing him of using various platforms to lobby Western nations to sanction China and Hong Kong.

The charges are brought under the city's national security law, which Beijing imposed in 2020 after the finance hub saw huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests the year before.

Defence lawyer Robert Pang told the court it was "not wrong" to support freedom of expression and human rights.

"It is not wrong to try to persuade the government to change its policy... Nor is it wrong not to love a particular administration, or even the country," he added.

Aside from the collusion offence -- which could land him in prison for life -- Lai is also charged with "seditious publication" related to 161 articles, including op-eds carrying his byline.

Pang began his closing arguments by pointing to three Apple Daily news articles that prosecutors deemed seditious.

"It's factual reporting," he said, adding that the 161 items made up a tiny fraction of the newspaper's output.

But judge Esther Toh countered that it was "pointless" to play a numbers game, adding that the judges had already gone through the articles carefully.

- 'Not credible' testimony -

Earlier in the day, prosecutor Anthony Chau challenged Lai's courtroom testimony -- which spanned more than 50 days -- as "not credible".

The portrayal of Apple Daily as a "neutral defender of Hong Kong's core values" was "utterly misleading", Chau told judges.

"(Lai) and Apple Daily were anti-communist for many years," he said, adding that the tycoon "glorified violence, mutual destruction and martyrdom against the (Chinese Communist Party) regime".

The prosecutor also pointed to a trove of communications, some on WhatsApp, that allegedly tied Lai to political figures in the United States and a plan to lobby for Western sanctions against China and Hong Kong around the time of the 2019 protests.

"(Lai) was clearly a betrayer of national interests," he said, wrapping up his case after two and half days.

Lai was attentive during Wednesday's hearing, waving and gesturing to family and supporters in the public gallery when he entered the courtroom.

The septuagenarian was outfitted with a heart rate monitor and prescribed medication after the defence said last week that Lai was experiencing heart palpitations.

Concerns have been raised previously over Lai's health by his family and rights groups.

The media tycoon has been kept behind bars since December 2020, reportedly in solitary confinement, and has lost weight during that time.

The Hong Kong government has said Lai was receiving "adequate and comprehensive" medical care, with a senior medical officer earlier declaring him "physically and mentally fit for court".

Q.Taylor--SFF