KUALA LUMPUR – Giordano and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai pleaded not guilty in a Hong Kong court to three charges, including sedition and colluding with foreign forces.
Lai, who is known for his pro-democracy stance, could face life in prison if found guilty of national security crime.
He was also accused of calling for international sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials.
The now-shuttered popular Chinese-language Apple Daily previously supported pro-democracy protests and criticised Beijing’s leadership.
Dressed in a white shirt and a dark blue jacket, the 76-year-old has been in solitary confinement since 2020 when he was marched out of his office by 200 police officers.
It was reported that Lai was initially charged with one count of “conspiracy to produce seditious publications”, two counts of “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security” and one count of collusion.
Collusion and conspiracy offences carry up to life imprisonment under the strict security law imposed in 2020 to quell dissent during the slew of massive protests in 2019, known as the “umbrella movement”.
Other defendants include three Apple Daily companies that have been taken over by the Hong Kong government, six former executives of the newspaper, and two activists related to an advocacy group known as Stand With Hong Kong Fight For Freedom. – January 2, 2024