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Jimmy Lai, ex-publisher from Hong Kong, starts giving testimony in his trial for national security charges


Former Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, founder of the pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, has begun testifying in his national security trial in Hong Kong. Lai faces charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring to issue seditious publications. If convicted, he could face life in prison under a national security law imposed by Beijing.

Lai’s trial is viewed as a measure of press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong, with many activists and democracy advocates already sentenced under the same law. Critics argue that Beijing’s promise to maintain civil liberties in Hong Kong has eroded in the name of national security.

Prosecutors accuse Lai of seeking support from the United States in sanctioning Chinese and Hong Kong leaders in response to the anti-government protests in 2019. The trial has drawn international attention, with calls for Lai’s release from the U.S., U.K., and independent U.N. human rights experts.

Lai’s son has described his father’s treatment in prison as inhumane, while supporters in Hong Kong and overseas have rallied in solidarity. The trial has sparked concerns from media and rights groups, who have labeled it a “show trial” that must end. Despite criticism, Hong Kong authorities maintain that the trial is based on facts and insist on the independence of the judiciary in handling national security cases.

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www.nbcnews.com

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