<p>Hong Kong: Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai on Wednesday testified in court for the first time in his years-long national security legal battle on charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and publishing seditious materials.</p><p>Lai, a British and Hong Kong citizen and a founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper <em>Apple Daily</em>, is considered one of the most high profile political arrestees in Hong Kong under a sweeping China-imposed national security law.</p><p>His testimony comes just a day after Hong Kong jailed 45 pro-democracy activists for up to 10 years in a separate national security case.</p><p>Lai told the West Kowloon Magistrates Court how his own guiding principles were aligned through his newspaper and with the people of Hong Kong, namely a belief in the rule of law and freedoms including of speech, religion and assembly.</p>.Hong Kong jails 45 democracy activists in landmark national security trial.<p>"We were always in support of movements for freedom," Lai, wearing a grey blazer and glasses, told the packed courtroom.</p><p>Around 100 people queued in the pouring rain huddled beneath umbrellas to secure a place in the , with hundreds of police deployed around the building.</p><p>"Apple Daily was the voice of many Hong Kongers," said William Wong, 64, a retiree. "It's my political expression to let him (Lai) know I support him. He's done a lot for Hong Kong."</p><p>Lai has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material.</p><p>Six others had earlier pleaded guilty, including senior staffers of <em>Apple Daily</em> and its parent company <em>Next Digital</em>, to conspiring with Lai to request a foreign country or organisation "to impose sanctions or blockade, or engage in other hostile activities" against the Hong Kong and Chinese governments.</p><p>Beijing imposed the national security law in July 2020 after months of sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the Asian financial hub the year before.</p><p>Lai had been held in pre-trial detention for over 1,400 days, before his trial kicked off last December. He is already serving a five year, nine month jail term for a fraud conviction over a lease dispute for his newspaper.</p><p>Diplomats from the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Switzerland and Ireland were present at the hearing on Wednesday.</p><p>The US government has condemned Lai's prosecution and called for his immediate release.</p><p>If convicted, the 76-year-old could be jailed for life, and his plight could emerge as a friction point between the US and China in the new Trump administration.</p><p>When asked last month whether he would speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping to get Lai out of China if he won the election, President-elect Donald Trump told conservative political commentator Hugh Hewitt in a podcast: <em>100%</em>.</p><p>"I’ll get him out. He’ll be easy to get out," Trump said. </p>
<p>Hong Kong: Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai on Wednesday testified in court for the first time in his years-long national security legal battle on charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and publishing seditious materials.</p><p>Lai, a British and Hong Kong citizen and a founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper <em>Apple Daily</em>, is considered one of the most high profile political arrestees in Hong Kong under a sweeping China-imposed national security law.</p><p>His testimony comes just a day after Hong Kong jailed 45 pro-democracy activists for up to 10 years in a separate national security case.</p><p>Lai told the West Kowloon Magistrates Court how his own guiding principles were aligned through his newspaper and with the people of Hong Kong, namely a belief in the rule of law and freedoms including of speech, religion and assembly.</p>.Hong Kong jails 45 democracy activists in landmark national security trial.<p>"We were always in support of movements for freedom," Lai, wearing a grey blazer and glasses, told the packed courtroom.</p><p>Around 100 people queued in the pouring rain huddled beneath umbrellas to secure a place in the , with hundreds of police deployed around the building.</p><p>"Apple Daily was the voice of many Hong Kongers," said William Wong, 64, a retiree. "It's my political expression to let him (Lai) know I support him. He's done a lot for Hong Kong."</p><p>Lai has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material.</p><p>Six others had earlier pleaded guilty, including senior staffers of <em>Apple Daily</em> and its parent company <em>Next Digital</em>, to conspiring with Lai to request a foreign country or organisation "to impose sanctions or blockade, or engage in other hostile activities" against the Hong Kong and Chinese governments.</p><p>Beijing imposed the national security law in July 2020 after months of sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in the Asian financial hub the year before.</p><p>Lai had been held in pre-trial detention for over 1,400 days, before his trial kicked off last December. He is already serving a five year, nine month jail term for a fraud conviction over a lease dispute for his newspaper.</p><p>Diplomats from the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Switzerland and Ireland were present at the hearing on Wednesday.</p><p>The US government has condemned Lai's prosecution and called for his immediate release.</p><p>If convicted, the 76-year-old could be jailed for life, and his plight could emerge as a friction point between the US and China in the new Trump administration.</p><p>When asked last month whether he would speak to Chinese President Xi Jinping to get Lai out of China if he won the election, President-elect Donald Trump told conservative political commentator Hugh Hewitt in a podcast: <em>100%</em>.</p><p>"I’ll get him out. He’ll be easy to get out," Trump said. </p>