Opponent Jimmy Lai testifies for the first time before a Hong Kong court to defend his innocence

He denies having influenced US policy to harm China or the Hong Kong authorities.

Nov. 20 (EUROPA PRESS) –

Former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, charged with two counts of conspiring with foreign forces and one count of publishing seditious material under the controversial national security law, has testified for the first time in a Hong Kong court to defend his innocence.

The opponent has acknowledged that during a meeting in July 2019 he asked the then Vice President of the United States Mike Pence to support Hong Kong in the context of the pro-democracy protests that year, although he “never” demanded that he take retaliatory measures against China or the authorities of the territory.

“I wouldn’t dare ask the vice president to do anything. He was only there to convey what was happening (during the protests),” highlighted the founder of the defunct tabloid ‘Apple Daily’, according to the Hong Kong Free Press news portal.

Lai has also denied having donated money to American politicians. “I have only made donations to think tanks and religious organizations,” he explained, adding, however, that among his contributions are pro-democratic parties, such as the Democratic Party or the now-defunct Civic Party.

Likewise, he stated that ‘Apple Daily’ represented “the values ​​of Hong Hong” which are the “rule of law, freedom, the pursuit of democracy”, as well as freedom of expression, religion and assembly. , denying that the tabloid served independence purposes.

The Prosecutor’s Office understands that Lai used the newspaper he founded, the ‘Apple Daily’, to encourage a campaign against Beijing and attract international sanctions. The opponent has been in custody since December 2020 and is currently serving a sentence for a fraud case that he has denounced as political persecution.

Last March, the Hong Kong authorities presented a new national security law, which complements the previous one, classifying new crimes and toughening prison sentences against those who commit treason, sedition or subversion, a measure that many consider harmful to the voices dissidents.