Hailed by supporters as a hero and dismissed by critics as a traitor, Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai is in the final stage of his national security trial, which has been postponed again due to health concerns.
Closing arguments were set to begin Thursday in the case, in which Lai, 77, is accused of colluding with foreign forces under Beijing’s sweeping security law. The hearing was first delayed by a typhoon, then adjourned on Friday after a judge ordered the installation of a heart monitoring device.
Lai appeared noticeably thinner in court. His lawyers and son, Sebastien, have raised concerns about his deteriorating health over the past year.
The British citizen has been in custody since December 2020 and faces a maximum life sentence if convicted. UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called for his release, while former US President Donald Trump has said he would do “everything [he] can” to save him.
Critics say the prosecution shows how Hong Kong’s legal system has been weaponised to silence political opposition.
A fierce critic of Beijing, Lai told the BBC in 2020, “I’m a born rebel. I have a very rebellious character.”
He is the most prominent figure charged under the law, introduced in 2020 after mass protests. Beijing says it is necessary for stability – opponents say it has crushed dissent.
Sebastien Lai has campaigned globally for his father’s release, warning that even a five-year sentence would be “practically the same as a death penalty.” “Given his age, given his health, yeah. He will die in prison,” he said.
From Refugee to Media Mogul
Born in Guangzhou to a wealthy family stripped of its fortune after the Communist takeover in 1949, Lai fled to Hong Kong at age 12 as a stowaway. He learned English while working in a clothing shop and later built the Giordano clothing brand into a global success.
After the Tiananmen Square crackdown in 1989, he became an outspoken democracy advocate, launching publications including Next magazine and the Apple Daily newspaper. His criticism of Beijing led to threats, firebomb attacks, and an alleged assassination plot.
When the security law passed in 2020, Lai called it the “death knell” for Hong Kong, warning the city would lose its financial hub status without the rule of law. In 2021, Apple Daily ran a front-page letter to Trump ending with, “Mr President, please help us.”
“I came here with nothing, the freedom of this place has given me everything… Maybe it’s time I paid back for that freedom by fighting for it,” he told AFP.
Since 2020, Lai has faced multiple charges, including unauthorised assembly and fraud. Rights groups and Western governments have urged his release.
“My father is in jail for the truth on his lips, courage in his heart, and freedom in his soul,” Sebastien has said.
