Imprisoned Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has started giving evidence in his national security trial, and is being taken through his international connections in minute detail as he fights the charge of colluding with foreign forces.
Mr Lai has been in jail for nearly four years and this trial started almost a year ago, although it has been on a months-long hiatus.
If found guilty, he could face a maximum sentence of life in prison.
A graphic shown to the court detailing every single foreign connection of interest included United States president-elect Donald Trump, and his vice-president and secretary of state from his first term.
Mr Lai was adamant he never met or communicated with Trump, even indirectly, while being questioned by his defence lawyer.
Of his meeting with then-vice-president Mike Pence, Mr Lai said he was simply telling him about the situation in Hong Kong.
“I would not dare to ask the US to do anything. I just related to him what happened in Hong Kong,” he said.
“And asked [Mr Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo] to say something to voice their support for Hong Kong.”
‘Delivering freedom is a good idea’
The prosecution alleges Mr Lai had been advocating for overseas governments to enact sanctions on Hong Kong through articles in his newspaper.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested in 2020. (AP: Kin Cheung)
Mr Lai rose to prominence as a businessman in Hong Kong, founding the clothing brand Giordano, before moving into publishing, running Next Magazine and The Apple Daily.
“I started a media business because after June 4 [the Tiananmen Square massacre], I thought it was a good opportunity for someone like me, a businessman who has made some money, to participate in delivering information — which I think is freedom,” he said.
“So delivering freedom is a good idea for me at the time.
“Because the more information you have, the more you are in the know, the more you are free.”
Mr Lai said his media company was founded with “Hong Kong values” of “rule of law, freedom, pursuit of democracy, freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly”, and that’s why it had been so popular.
He told the court the paper never supported violence, particularly during the 2019 protests, nor Hong Kong or Taiwan independence.
“I always thought the advocacy of independence of Hong Kong is a conspiracy … to get us in a trap,” Mr Lai said.
“It was never a reality, it was a crazy [idea].
“I never allowed the newspaper or our staff to mention this.”
Lai questioned about Taiwan connections
Mr Lai was questioned about why he had introduced two friends of his — former US deputy secretary of defence Paul Wolfowitz and former US Army General Jack Keane — to the previous Taiwanese president Tsai Ing-wen.
Jimmy Lai’s wife Teresa Lai arrives at her husband’s trial.
(AP: Chan Long Hei)
Mr Lai has residency in Taiwan and referred to Ms Tsai as a friend who he had known long before she became president.
“We always talk about US policy and she knew I was supportive of Trump and the Republican policy, and I was very much in touch with the think tanks in the US,” he said.
“President Tsai wants to know the thinking and sentiment of the Trump administration and these two friends of mine had access to the Trump administration unofficially.
“If I wanted to achieve something, I just wanted to help Taiwan to … know how to deal with the US, because Taiwan is the only democracy of Chinese people in the whole history of Chinese people.”
Mr Lai is expected to give evidence for about a fortnight.
Supporters wait in the rain
Amid an enormous police presence, about 100 people had lined up outside the court in driving rain, some camping overnight, to see Mr Lai give evidence.
“I wanted to go to court to say hi to Jimmy Lai and let him know he has supporters. I haven’t let the rain put me off,” one woman told the ABC.
A woman came out in support of Jimmy Lai and said she was not deterred by the rain. (ABC News: Kathleen Calderwood)
Cardinal Joseph Zen is also in attendance, likely a great comfort to Mr Lai, who is a devout catholic.
The prosecution of Mr Lai and the national security law generally have been condemned by governments and human rights groups around the world.
On Tuesday, 45 pro-democracy activists, ex-politicians and academics were sentenced for four to 10 years under the national security law for their roles in an unofficial primary vote in 2020.
Foreign minister Penny Wong said the government was “gravely concerned” by the sentencing, particularly that of Australian citizen Gordon Ng.
Earlier this week, UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer raised Mr Lai’s case directly with Xi Jinping when they met on the sidelines of the G20 in Brazil. Mr Lai is a British citizen.
Mr Trump also told conservative broadcaster Hugh Hewitt — in the weeks before the US election — that he too would “100 per cent” raise Mr Lai’s case with Xi Jinping.
“100 per cent, I’ll get him out. He’ll be easy to get out,” he said.
“I hope Trump and the international community can free Jimmy Lai … because all we can do here in Hong Kong is very little,” said another supporter waiting in the rain.
Dozens of supporters braved the rain to see Jimmy Lai give evidence. (ABC News: Kathleen Calderwood)
Mr Lai’s family and his international legal team have raised grave concerns for Mr Lai’s health in jail, making representations to the UN special rapporteur on torture.
“My father has turned 77, he’s been kept in solitary confinement in completely inhumane conditions for the last almost four years now,” said his son Sebastien.
“To be frank, his health isn’t very good, he’s got diabetes.
“It’s an incredibly horrible situation, and Hong Kong’s strategy seems to be to keep dragging it out until they kill him.”
Lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC says Mr Lai needs to be immediately and unconditionally released.
“Sometimes people think that, because we’re dealing with China, that we should be despairing, it’s too big an enemy, and I simply don’t accept that,” she told the ABC from London.
“We’ve seen a number of cases recently of political prisoners, prisoners of conscience, being released after international pressure.
“We’ve seen Australian journalist Cheng Lei released after concerted, robust work by the Australian government to secure her release … so if Australia can do it, if the US can do it, if Canada can do it, and if Ireland can do it, the UK and the international community should be able to do the same for Jimmy Lai.”
