Hong Kong Protests

The 156-day trial, the most high-profile use of Beijing’s draconian national security law, is set to come to a close.

Hong Kong’s High Court is set to hand down a verdict in the case of pro-democracy campaigner and media mogul Jimmy Lai next week, bringing an end to his lengthy national security trial.

Lai’s verdict will be delivered by a three-judge panel in a hearing that begins at 10am local time (02:00 GMT) on Monday, according to a court diary notice seen on Friday.

Founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper, Lai, 78, is charged with foreign collusion under Hong Kong’s national security law, which Beijing imposed following huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.

He previously pleaded not guilty to two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces, as well as a third count of sedition under a colonial-era law.

Authorities accuse Lai, who has been detained since December 2020, of using the Apple Daily to conspire with six former executives and others to produce seditious publications between April 2019 and June 2021.

He is accused of using his publication to conspire with paralegal Chan Tsz-wah, activist Andy Li, and others to invite foreign countries – including the United States, Britain and Japan – to impose sanctions, blockades and other hostile measures against Hong Kong and China.

Prosecutors also accuse Lai of stoking hatred against authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong through writing and publishing more than 150 critical op-eds in the outlet.

He faces life imprisonment if convicted.

Lai has been held in solitary confinement for more than 1,800 days, with his family saying they fear for his wellbeing and his health is deteriorating as he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure, as well as heart palpitations that require medication.

In August, the court postponed closing arguments in his 156-day trial – which began in December 2023 – citing a “medical issue” involving the 78-year-old’s heart.

Authorities say Lai has received proper treatment and medical care during his detention.

Trump to do ‘everything I can to save him’

Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997 after more than 150 years under British colonial rule.

As part of the “one country, two systems” approach, Hong Kong officially operates a separate judicial system based on Common Law traditions, meaning Lai has greater legal protections than he would in mainland China.

But Hong Kong has experienced significant democratic backsliding in recent years, which accelerated following mass pro-democracy protests in 2019-20, which resulted in a harsh crackdown on dissent in the territory by Beijing.

In 2020, Chinese authorities introduced a draconian national security law to crush the protest movement, establishing secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign organisations as crimes carrying hefty punishments.

Lai’s trial represents the most high-profile use of that law, with critics condemning his trial as politically motivated.

The Chinese and Hong Kong governments insist Lai is being given a fair trial and have said the legal process must be allowed to reach its conclusion.

But his case has drawn international scrutiny, including from US President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly promised to “save” Lai. In August, Trump promised to do “everything I can to save him”.

“His name has already entered the circle of things that we’re talking about, and we’ll see what we can do,” Trump told Fox News Radio.

Trump also reportedly raised Lai’s case during a meeting with Chinese leader Xi Jinping when the pair met in South Korea in October.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee urges the public to come out and vote amid expectations of a low turnout.

Voters in Hong Kong are heading to the polls to elect new lawmakers under China’s “patriots only” rules, though government efforts to drive turnout have been overshadowed by anger over the city’s handling of a major deadly fire.

Polls opened early on Sunday across the autonomous Chinese city to select 90 legislators, though only 20 of those seats are directly elected.

The election is only the second time since the city overhauled the electoral system to ensure that only those deemed “patriots” can run for office.

Political campaigning for the polls was abruptly paused in late November, after a blaze tore through the housing blocks of Wang Fuk Court in northern Hong Kong, killing at least 159 people.

Al Jazeera’s Laura Westbrook, reporting from Hong Kong, said “there had been some questions” whether the voting should go ahead in light of the tragedy, believed to be the world’s deadliest residential building fire since 1980.

“But Hong Kong’s chief executive, John Lee, said the vote should go ahead, as a way to maintain stability, and that he needed the newly elected legislature to help push through reforms as well as ensure the recovery and reconstruction efforts can move ahead quickly,” Westbrook said.

Lee had earlier announced a judge-led “independent committee” to investigate the fire, which devastated seven apartment blocks that were undergoing renovations.

He has also urged the people of Hong Kong to take part in the polls, saying their ballots represented reform and support to the fire victims.

On Sunday, a sombre-looking Lee was seen casting his vote in the city.

As of this week, police have arrested 15 people from various construction companies on suspicion of manslaughter.

Police also reportedly arrested at least three people for sedition for making public criticism of the government in the wake of the fire.

Among those detained was 24-year-old student Miles Kwan, who handed out flyers calling for government accountability. Kwan was later reported to have been released.

Earlier this week, a university in the city also shut operations of its student union after messages were posted on campus expressing condolences and urging justice for the victims of the fire.

Legislative elections in Hong Kong used to entail boisterous clashes between pro-Beijing and pro-democracy camps, with the latter often winning about 60 percent of the popular vote.

But in 2020, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law after the city was roiled by huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests. The first contest held under the new rules later that year saw a record low turnout of less than 30 percent.

Some pro-democracy lawmakers have been jailed, including as part of a subversion case that concluded last year, while others resigned or fled Hong Kong.

Sunday’s race will once again be devoid of the two largest pro-democracy parties after the Civic Party disbanded in 2023 and the Democratic Party said it is winding down.

Before the fire, authorities had blanketed much of the city in promotional material and extended the operating hours of polling stations.

About a third of the outgoing cohort of lawmakers, including veterans such as Regina Ip and legislature president Andrew Leung, are not seeking another term.