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Closing arguments are owed to statesman successful the nationalist information proceedings of Jimmy Lai, 77, a fierce professional of China’s Communist Party.
Published On 15 Aug 2025
United States President Donald Trump has renewed his committedness to “save” jailed Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai, who is connected proceedings for alleged nationalist information crimes implicit his pro-democracy activism and antipathy towards China’s Communist Party.
“I’m going to bash everything I tin to prevention him. I’m going to bash everything … His sanction has already entered the ellipse of things that we’re talking about, and we’ll spot what we tin do,” Trump told Fox News Radio successful the US.
Trump’s remarks came arsenic closing arguments successful Lai’s high-profile trial.
Closing arguments person been pushed from Friday to Monday after Lai’s lawyer said helium had experienced bosom palpitations.
The hold marks the 2nd successful arsenic galore days, aft Hong Kong courts were closed owed to atrocious weather.
Trump antecedently pledged to rescue Lai during an interrogation past October, conscionable weeks earlier his predetermination arsenic president, and had said helium would “100 percent get him out”.
Lai is 1 of the astir salient Hong Kongers to beryllium charged nether the city’s draconian 2020 nationalist information law, and his origin has made planetary headlines.
The 77-year-old is simply a longtime hostile of China’s Communist Party acknowledgment to his ownership of Apple Daily, a now-shuttered pro-democracy tabloid newspaper.
He is facing 2 counts of “colluding with overseas forces” and a abstracted complaint of sedition successful the long-running nationalist information proceedings that began successful December 2023.
If recovered guilty, helium could walk the remainder of his beingness successful prison. He has ever protested his innocence.
Lai was archetypal arrested successful 2020, conscionable months aft Beijing imposed the caller nationalist information instrumentality connected Hong Kong, which criminalised the city’s pro-democracy question and categorised nationalist protests arsenic acts of secession, subversion and terrorism.
The instrumentality was aboriginal expanded successful 2024 to see further crimes specified arsenic espionage and sabotage.
Lai has been successful detention continuously since December 2020 and is serving abstracted situation sentences for participating successful a banned candlelight vigil and committing “fraud” connected an bureau lease agreement.
He has spent much than 1,600 days successful solitary confinement, according to the United Kingdom-based Hong Kong Watch, contempt his property and wellness complications.
Lai was besides denied the lawyer of his prime during proceedings and entree to autarkic aesculapian care.
A verdict successful his proceedings is expected wrong days.
Thank you, President Trump, for your enactment for Jimmy Lai astatine this captious time.
"I'm going to bash everything I tin to prevention [Jimmy Lai]. I'm going to bash everything…His sanction has already entered the ellipse of things that we're talking about, and we'll spot what we tin do. I… pic.twitter.com/EmscQHYQmX
— #FreeJimmyLai (@SupportJimmyLai) August 14, 2025
English (US) ·