Hong Kong Media Mogul Jimmy Lai Used Apple Daily Newspaper to ‘Sway Public Opinion,’ ‘Promote Hatred,’ Court Hears
Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai has been accused of using his now-defunct pro-democracy tabloid, Apple Daily, to manipulate public sentiment and incite hatred against Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities, according to prosecutors in his national security trial. The trial, which entered its fifth day, saw Lai plead not guilty to two counts of conspiring to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiring to publish seditious materials, offenses that carry a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.
Lead prosecutor Anthony Chau presented various articles published by Apple Daily during the 2019 protests, alleging that these articles constituted seditious publications that aimed to incite animosity against China and the Hong Kong government. Chau argued that the articles were designed to sway public opinion against the authorities and undermine the political order.
The prosecution focused on an article titled From peaceful to violent: It was the regime that forced me to transform, published in October 2019, which claimed that the authorities had forced protesters to resort to violence. They also cited two other articles from August 2019 and January 2020 that called for international sanctions on mainland Chinese and Hong Kong officials.
Chau further highlighted an article published in October 2019 that allegedly promoted hatred against the police by labeling all officers as black cops, a term used by protesters to describe corrupt police officers. Although Lai did not write these articles himself, Chau argued that they were published under his direction and instruction as the owner of Apple Daily. WhatsApp records presented in court suggested that Lai had instructed former employees on what to publish, with Next Digital CEO Cheung Kim-hung and associate publisher Chan Pui-man expected to testify against Lai.
The prosecution also accused Lai of making seditious statements in various columns he penned during the 2019 protests and the Covid-19 pandemic. Chau referred to an article Lai wrote for The Wall Street Journal in September 2019 titled There’s hope for freedom, even in China, claiming it was an attempt by Lai to gain international influence.
During the pandemic, Lai allegedly used his Apple Daily column to promote hatred against Beijing and China’s leader Xi Jinping. According to Chau, Lai referred to Covid-19 as the Wuhan pandemic and called Xi Emperor Xi. Lai also called on the public to resist Beijing, alleging that the Chinese Communist Party had no credibility in governing and encouraged them to mount insurgence against the Hong Kong government.
The prosecution presented evidence of Lai’s Twitter account, which was set up in May 2020. Lai followed several Twitter accounts, including those of then US Vice President Mike Pence and Taiwan President Tsai Ing-wen, suggesting connections between Lai and foreign politicians.
Additionally, the prosecution played episodes of Live Chat with Jimmy Lai, a program on Apple Daily where Lai discussed various topics with foreign politicians, academics, and activists. The prosecution argued that the program was used by Lai to advocate for international sanctions against Hong Kong and mainland China, further demonstrating his alleged collusion with foreign elements.
The trial will continue with the prosecution’s opening arguments on Thursday. The outcome of this closely-watched trial will have significant implications for Hong Kong’s media landscape and the ongoing battle between pro-democracy activists and the authorities.
Disclaimer: This article is based on the details reported in court and does not reflect any personal opinions of the writer or this news agency.
