Closing arguments ended Thursday at the national security trial of the Hong Kong media magnate, Jimmy Lai, although the judges did not say when they made a verdict.
Judge Esther Toh, a member of the Committee for three judges supervising the case, said the court would publish more details “in good time”.
The 77-year-old founder of the Journal du Quotidien Apple now closed risks of life prison if he was found guilty of illegal foreign collusion under the restrictive national security legislation of Hong Kong, which was imposed by Beijing in 2020 after the massive pro-democracy demonstrations of 2019.
Lai, who denied the accusations, spent more than four years in prison. He appeared before the court in a white shirt and a tanned jacket, where he smiled and agitated to supporters, according to an agency report France-Press.
During the trial, the prosecutors said that he had organized conspiracies involving Apple daily executives and a network of foreign connections to request foreign actions against China and Hong Kong at the time of the 2019 demonstrations.
Defense lawyers said LAI ended these activities before the National Security Act took effect in June 2020.
The closing arguments in the trial were delayed twice this month: once due to the weather, and once without concern for the health of Lai. Earlier this year, Lai’s son warned that his father’s health was down due to his imprisonment, a large part of this time spent in isolation. Press freedom organizations and human rights have also cited Lai’s health in calls to release it.
Includes France-Press agency reports.