The verdict in the national security trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai (黎智英) will be announced on Monday, according to a notice from the Hong Kong judiciary.
Lai, who founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, has been charged with two counts of “conspiracy to commit collusion with foreign countries or external elements” and one count of “collusion with foreign countries or external elements.” If convicted, he would face a maximum punishment of life in prison.
He is the most prominent figure to be charged under the 2020 national security law, which Beijing has used to silence activism in Hong Kong, once seen as a bastion of free speech and democracy. Lai suffers from diabetes and has developed a heart condition while being held in solitary confinement.
In recent weeks, Lai’s children Claire Lai (黎采) and Sebastian Lai (黎崇恩) have taken to the pages of Western media outlets to call for his release, warning that allowing him to die in prison would transform their father into a martyr.
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