File photo of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who founded local newspaper Apple Daily | Photo Credit: AP
trial of a Hong Kong newspaper publisher who was arrested in action The pro-democracy movement was suspended on Thursday after the region’s leader called on China to effectively block the hiring of a British defense lawyer.
Jimmy Lai, 74, could face a possible life sentence if convicted under a national security law imposed by the ruling Communist Party on the former British colony. The government raised objections after it was approved by judges on Monday. Mr Lai plans to hire Timothy OwenAn experienced human rights lawyer.
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Chief Executive John Lee asked China’s Communist Party-controlled formal legislature to decide whether foreign lawyers who do not normally practice in Hong Kong can be dismissed for national security matters.
Beijing imposed the security law after pro-democracy protests that began in 2019. If Beijing intervenes, it would be the sixth time the Communist-ruled government has intervened in the city’s legal affairs.
accused of conspiracy
Mr. Lai, founder of the now defunct apple daily, is accused of conspiring with others to impose sanctions or blockades or to engage in activities hostile to Hong Kong or China. He is also accused of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security, and a separate sedition charge under a colonial-era law increasingly used to quell dissent.
As of the end of November, 25 people have been indicted under the law, which according to the Security Bureau prohibits subversion, pro-independence activity, collusion with “foreign forces” and terrorism.
The judges granted their application to the Justice Department to temporarily postpone the trial as the city awaited Beijing’s decision. The next hearing is to be held on December 13.
Mr Lee, Hong Kong’s former security chief who oversaw the crackdown, said on Tuesday that Beijing was highly concerned and would act “as soon as possible”, but gave no timeline for an interpretation of the court’s ruling.
Hong Kong was promised a “high degree of autonomy” when it returned to China in 1997, but Beijing and its local allies rolled back Western-style civil rights, eroding the territory’s appeal as a global trade hub.
Lai’s lawyer said Mr Owen did not appear in court because the Immigration Department had blocked the barrister’s application for an extension of his work visa. He added that the British barrister currently has a visa for another case.
AP TechCrunch has reached out to the Department of Immigration for comment.
Hong Kong’s Supreme Court on Monday dismissed government objections against allowing Mr Lai to appoint Mr Owen on security grounds as “undefined and unproven”.
On Tuesday, Victor Dawes, president of the Hong Kong Bar Association, urged the mainland’s Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress to exercise its power to interpret the law. He added that local courts can clarify any ambiguities in future.
Beijing’s Liaison Office in Hong Kong and the Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office supported Li’s position in statements on Monday.