Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai back in witness box for fourth day in trial

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Former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying returns to the witness box on Monday as his oral testimony in his marathon national security trial enters the fourth day at West Kowloon Court.

Lai, 76, has denied two charges of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the 2020 national security law, as well as a third count of conspiracy to print and distribute seditious publications in breach of colonial-era legislation.

The founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid previously explained his relationships with politicians and activists in the United States, Britain and Taiwan, but denied prosecutors’ allegations he had sought to leverage his vast network of influence to tilt foreign policies aimed at Beijing and Hong Kong in his favour.

Lai maintained he had never forced his newspaper to draft a sanctions list for Washington after then US president Donald Trump signed an executive order paving the way for punitive measures against Beijing and Hong Kong officials in July 2020.

On the anti-government protests in 2019, Lai stressed he opposed violence and maintained he had advocated resistance against Beijing through peaceful demonstrations.

Some level of violence was “inevitable”, he said, citing police’s handling of the protests. He also denied inciting hatred towards authorities through his commentaries.

The defence is expected to put further questions to Lai concerning his articles and tweets he published on his social media account in 2020, followed by inquiries into his work communications with former staff.

The high-profile trial is being heard by three High Court judges, all hand-picked by the city leader to adjudicate national security proceedings, in the absence of a jury.

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