A Beijing official overseeing Hong Kong’s national security has dismissed calls from foreign groups to pardon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, questioning the need to do so as the former media boss is not “a certain president’s son”.
Sun Qingye, deputy director of Beijing’s Office for Safeguarding National Security in Hong Kong, also warned on Friday against imposing pressure on local judges.
Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid newspaper, completed his oral testimony on his 52nd day in the witness box on Thursday in his defence against two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications.
The prosecution of the 77-year-old has drawn widespread condemnation from some Western countries over claims of political motivations, with US President Donald Trump previously saying he would “100 per cent” get Lai out of China during his election campaign.
But Sun on Friday questioned the need to pardon Lai as some had suggested.
