Lawyer defends free speech in Hong Kong trial

HONG KONG — A lawyer for prominent Hong Kong democracy activist and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai argued Wednesday that it was not wrong to support freedom of expression, as he made final arguments in Lai's landmark sedition trial. Barrister Robert Pang was representing Lai in his fight against charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. Lai, 77, faces up to life in prison if convicted under a national security law imposed by Beijing following anti-government protests in 2019. The high-profile trial, which has lasted 150 days so far, entered its final stage this week, though the date for a verdict remains unclear. Foreign governments and political observers are closely monitoring the outcome, which is widely seen as a barometer of the city's judicial independence and press freedom. As the defense began its closing arguments, Pang said it was not wrong to hope that the government would change its policies, whether through internal review or pressure, whether from inside or outside of Hong Kong. "It's not wrong to try to persuade the government to change its policy. Nor is it wrong not to love a particular administration or even the country," he said. He added that the prosecution seemed to have dismissed human rights as an alien concept. Prosecutors have deemed 161 articles published in Lai's now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper to have been seditious. Pang pushed back against that notion, using three examples to argue that they were just "reporting," and that the items in question were only a small fraction of what the newspaper published. Judge Esther Toh said the three-judge panel was looking at the content of the articles, not the number, and said she wasn't playing a mathematical game. She said it is not wrong not to love the government, but it becomes wrong when someone does that through certain nefarious means. Earlier in the day, prosecutor Anthony Chau concluded his closing statement, arguing that Lai was a mastermind of a conspiracy linked to foreign collusion, and that his testimony during the trial has not been credible. The hearing will resume on Thursday. Despite health issues, Lai has continued to appear in court since the final arguments began on Monday. Concerns over Lai's health delayed the trial last week after Pang reported that his client had experienced heart palpitations and the judges wanted him to receive medical treatment first. A heart monitor was delivered to Lai. Last Friday, the Hong Kong government said a medical examination of Lai found no abnormalities and that the medical care he received in custody was adequate.