Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s nationwide safety trial enters second day, legal professionals plan to proceed push for dismissal of sedition cost

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s nationwide safety trial enters its second day on Tuesday, along with his authorized crew anticipated to make additional submissions on why the courtroom ought to dismiss a sedition cost towards him.

The 76-year-old founding father of the now-defunct Apple Every day tabloid newspaper is dealing with three conspiracy fees referring to sedition and collusion with international forces for allegedly drawing worldwide sanctions towards authorities and inciting public hatred within the wake of anti-government protests in 2019.

The main focus of the trial on the primary day had been on the sedition cost, along with his legal professionals arguing it should be struck off as prosecutors had not stored to a time restrict to put such a cost.

On Tuesday morning outdoors West Kowloon Court docket, the identical degree of police presence as on Monday was seen from the early hours as dozens of armed and plainclothes officers and search canine remained on guard. A jail van carrying Lai arrived on the courtroom properly earlier than 8am.

Some international consulate representatives arrived at round 9am, with Isidor Nikolic, the deputy consul common of Austria being the primary to point out up, adopted by Sapphire Le Sage, head of political and communications from the British consulate.

On Monday, no less than 10 consulate representatives, together with from the UK, United States, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Switzerland attended the primary day of the listening to.

All eyes on Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai as nationwide safety trial begins

Lai’s spouse Teresa Li-Lai Wan-kam, son Augustin Lai Zhun-yan and daughter Claire Lai Choi had been additionally seen in courtroom once more on Tuesday morning.

Lai’s legal professionals, led by Robert Pang Yiu-hung SC, on Monday argued that the prosecution had handed the time restrict for charging him, as a colonial-era sedition legislation said that fees should be laid inside six months of the alleged offence, which concerned suspected seditious publications spanning from April 1, 2019, to June 24, 2021.

Pang identified that Lai was solely introduced earlier than courtroom for the primary time on December 28, 2021, which was 4 days behind the “time bar”, citing the permitted prosecution interval outlined in Part 159D of the Crimes Ordinance.

Lai’s authorized crew stated the tycoon’s prosecution ought to have began earlier than October 1, 2019, half a 12 months after he was alleged to have first created seditious content material for Apple Every day.

As an alternative, prosecutors invoked the colonial-era legislation in Lai’s case in December 2021. They argued the offence was a unbroken breach of the legislation and the time restrict needs to be decided primarily based on when the alleged conspiracy had ended.

On the finish of Monday’s sitting, the bench requested the defence to search for additional authorized authorities in assist of their contentions.

Lai is dealing with one rely of conspiring to publish seditious publications. Former editor-in-chief Ryan Regulation Wai-kwong and 5 different editorial workers have pleaded responsible to the cost and are awaiting sentencing behind bars.

Authorized crew for Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai argues time’s up for sedition cost

The media mogul can be accused of violating the nationwide safety legislation, with two conspiracy fees referring to collusion with international forces for allegedly calling for worldwide sanctions towards authorities and inciting public hatred within the wake of the 2019 protests, sparked by a now-withdrawn extradition invoice.

Media presence on Tuesday was noticeably much less in contrast with Monday, the primary day of the trial. Reporters and digital camera crew started to assemble on the designated press zone at 7.45am on Tuesday, with most being from native shops. The variety of law enforcement officials outdoors the courthouse outnumbered journalists.

Dozens of public members queued for a seat early within the morning, with a number of officers standing guard close by. About 30 individuals lined up shortly earlier than 7am, based on a Submit statement, with extra individuals arriving after 8am. Many of the attendees had been middle-aged and aged individuals.