A Hong Kong court has held the final hearing for Jimmy Lai, the former founder of a pro-democracy newspaper, in a major national security trial that could see him jailed for life if convicted.
Mr Lai, 77, was arrested in 2020 under a national security law passed by Beijing after anti-government protests in 2019.
He is charged with conspiring with foreign countries to endanger national security and conspiring with others to distribute subversive material.
Mr Lai founded Apple Daily, one of the local media outlets most critical of the Hong Kong government.
His high-profile case, which has lasted nearly 150 days, far exceeding the initial estimate of 80 days, is being seen as a test of press freedom and a probe of judicial independence in Asia's financial hub.
The sentencing date has not yet been determined.
US Attorney Anthony Chau on Monday discussed the security law on the conspiracy charges, arguing that the requirement to impose sanctions should apply to officials, not just states.
He planned to present other key issues in the afternoon and make a final statement on Tuesday.
Prosecutors previously said Mr Lai had called on foreign countries, particularly the United States, to take action against Beijing “under the pretext of fighting for freedom and democracy”.
On the first day of his testimony, Mr. Lai denied that he asked then-Vice President Mike Pence and then-Secretary of State Mike Pompeo to take action against Hong Kong and China during the 2019 protests.
When Mr. Lai’s lawyer asked him about the Apple Daily article that said he had asked the U.S. government to impose sanctions on the leaders of Beijing and Hong Kong, he said he had likely discussed it with Mr. Pompeo because he had no reason to doubt the veracity of the report from the now-defunct newspaper he founded.
However, Mr Lai said he would not approve foreign sanctions after the national security law was passed on June 30, 2020.
The final hearing was postponed twice, first because of weather conditions and then because of concerns about Mr. Lai's health. On Friday, his lawyer, Robert Pang, said Mr. Lai had been suffering from heart palpitations while in custody.
Judges wanted him to get a heart monitor and medication first.
Following Friday's hearing, the Hong Kong government said foreign media had attempted to mislead the public about Mr.
Sourse: breakingnews.ie
