Taiwan deeply regrets Jimmy Lai conviction under HK national security law

Taipei, Dec. 15 (CNA) Taiwan's Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) on Monday expressed "deep regret" over the conviction of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai (黎智英) under the territory's national security law, while condemning the Hong Kong government for using the law to "politically persecute pro-democracy figures."

Taiwan and the international community are "deeply saddened and disappointed" by the Hong Kong High Court's conviction of Lai, the MAC said in a news release.

The MAC "strongly condemns the Hong Kong government for using the malicious national security law to curb freedom of speech and press freedom, and to politically persecute pro-democracy figures," it added.

A long-time China critic, Lai is regarded by supporters as a pro-democracy activist. He founded Apple Daily in 1995 and later launched a sister publication in Taiwan in 2003.

The Hong Kong paper, known for its pro-democracy stance, was forced to close in June 2021 after Hong Kong authorities froze its assets and arrested senior staff, while the Taiwan edition ended its operation in August 2022 amid organizational challenges.

The MAC, Taiwan's top government agency handling cross-Taiwan Strait affairs, said Monday's ruling was "tantamount to declaring to the world" that Hong Kong's freedom, democracy, and judicial independence have been "gradually eroded."

It urged Beijing and the Hong Kong authorities to immediately release Lai, and stop persecuting him and suppressing pro-democracy figures.

The response came after the Hong Kong High Court's ruling earlier in the day that found Lai guilty on two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the Hong Kong National Security Law (HKNSL), and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials under the Crimes Ordinance, a colonial era law.

The HKNSL was imposed by Beijing in June 2020 as it tightened its grip on the former British colony following large-scale pro-democracy protests in the territory from mid-2019 to early 2020.

According to a summary of the case provided by the court, the prosecution alleged Lai used Apple Daily as a platform to publish "seditious articles" and to press foreign countries to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile actions against China and Hong Kong.

The summary said that Lai, in his defense, denied any conspiracy, arguing that the articles cited were not seditious and saying he and Apple Daily stopped calling on foreign countries to impose sanctions or take other hostile actions after the HKNSL took effect.

The reasons for the verdict were accompanied by an annex containing a chart presented by the prosecution that listed Lai's "external political connections," including Taiwan's former President Tsai Ing-wen (蔡英文) alongside other political figures such as U.S. President Donald Trump and former U.S. House speaker Nancy Pelosi.

Lai will be sentenced at a later date, with a mitigation hearing scheduled for Jan. 12, 2026. The collusion offense carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

Before Monday's verdict, Lai had been behind bars since December 2020 while awaiting the outcome of the case. His family has said the 78-year-old's health deteriorated during his detention, raising concerns over his ability to serve a lengthy sentence.