Jimmy Lai Denies Charges at Sedition Trial

Jimmy Lai, the jailed founder of Apple Daily, testified in his national security trial that he did not direct his newspaper staff to request sanctions from foreign governments against Hong Kong officials. During his ongoing testimony, he admitted to meeting former U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2019 but initially claimed not to have discussed sanctions, later acknowledging he must have mentioned them after being shown an article from his paper. Lai faces serious charges, including conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials, and has denied all allegations of influencing foreign policy through his media outlets. He asserted that he only sought to publish critical coverage of China in the English edition of Apple Daily to attract international attention, but denied any intent to incite sanctions. His trial has seen testimonies from former colleagues claiming Lai aimed to prompt hostile actions against Beijing, which he refuted, maintaining he never explicitly mentioned sanctions. The trial, now in its 97th day, could lead to life imprisonment if Lai is convicted.