A group of current, and former, foreign politicians say they have demanded to be called as witnesses in the landmark national security trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai.
Members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China, who come from nine countries, include Japan’s former defence minister Gen Nakatani and Iain Duncan Smith – a former UK Conservative party leader who has been sanctioned by China.
In a letter seen by the BBC, the group say they have been cited over 50 times during the hearings yet have never been formally contacted to submit evidence.
“[W]e now have an opportunity to see how far English common law used in Hong Kong, respected by the world over, has been traduced by the national security law of China,” Iain is quoted as saying.
76-year-old Lai is on trial for two counts of taking part in a “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” under the security legislation, and also for conspiring to publish “seditious” materials under a colonial-era law. The self-made millionaire’s media outlet, which was forced to close in June 2021 after senior staff were arrested, faces the same charges. Apple Daily’s newsroom was raided twice, and its assets were frozen.
Three judges – handpicked by Hong Kong’s chief executive to hear national security cases – are presiding over Lai’s trial in the place of a jury, marking a departure from the city’s common law traditions. The trial entered its 76th day on Tuesday, with the tycoon facing up to life behind bars if convicted.
The Alliance is formed of lawmakers from 34 legislatures and parliamentary bodies.
HKFP has contacted the Department of Justice for comment.
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