Closing Arguments Underway in the Trial of Hong Kong Activist Jimmy Lai

Author: Vera Rousseff

August 19, 2025

HRRC condemns the detainment and harsh treatment of activist Jimmy Lai by Hong Kong authorities. Silencing political dissent and targeting pro-democracy activists are hallmarks of authoritarianism and must be denounced.

Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai poses during an interview in Hong Kong on June 16, 2020. [Image credit: Anthony Wallace/AFP]

Closing arguments in the trial against Jimmy Lai—a Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy activist—are underway as of Monday, August 18th.

Lai, who has been detained since December 2020, is standing trial for “collusion with foreign forces” under Hong Kong’s National Security Law. He has pleaded not guilty. After more than four and a half years in solitary confinement, Lai, who is 77, now faces the prospect of life in prison. Lai’s son, Sebastian, says that his father’s declining health means he may not survive even five years behind bars. Lai was given a heart monitor in order to be able to appear for the trial on Monday, after he had reportedly experienced heart palpitations several days before.

Lai’s trial has drawn international attention and criticism from human rights groups, who argue that his imprisonment is symbolic of China’s harsh crackdown on political dissent in Hong Kong. In October of last year, then-presidential candidate Donald Trump promised that he would free Lai if he became president—something he has so far failed to do. UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer has also called for Lai's release.

Lai has been a prominent figure in Hong Kong’s media and democracy landscape for more than three decades. In 1995, he launched the widely popular newspaper Apple Daily, known for its fiercely pro-democracy stance and its persistent criticism of the Chinese government. Lai was also an important leader in the massive 2019 protests in Hong Kong, when hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets to oppose what they perceived to be China’s growing control over the territory.

In response to the demonstrations, the Chinese government imposed a strict new national security law in 2020, widely seen as a means of eroding Hong Kong’s remaining autonomy. The law criminalizes four types of activity: secession, terrorism, subversion of state power, and collusion with foreign entities. At the time, Lai stated the law sounded the "death knell" for the territory. Less than two months later, he became the most prominent person to be charged under the law. The Apple Daily was forced to shut down the following year, after it was raided twice by police and its assets were frozen.

Regarding the collusion charge, prosecutors have alleged that Lai asked the US and other countries to engage in acts hostile to China and Hong Kong, including imposing sanctions. Lai confirmed that he met with some foreign political leaders, activists, and journalists in order to advocate on behalf of Hong Kong, but never asked for any concrete action.

In the years following the protests and Lai’s detainment, China has strengthened its legal and political grip on the territory. Many mourn the loss of the Hong Kong they once knew. For those in the territory and around the world who view Lai as a hero who fought for freedom and knowledge, this trial represents a decisive moment. The international community must continue to advocate for Lai’s release and stay informed on the political situation in Hong Kong.

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Glossary

• Activist: a person who campaigns for political or social change.

• Authoritarianism: a governing system that concentrates power in a leader or small group, often limiting freedoms and suppressing dissent.

• Autonomy: the ability of a region, group, or individual to govern or make decisions independently.

• Charge: a formal accusation that someone has committed a crime.

• Collusion with foreign forces: a crime under Hong Kong’s National Security Law, referring to alleged cooperation with foreign countries to act against China or Hong Kong.

• Crackdown: a severe or repressive measure taken by authorities to restrict certain activities or groups.

• Death knell: a sign or event that marks the approaching end or destruction of something.

• Denounce: to publicly declare something to be wrong, evil, or unacceptable.

• Detainment: the state of being held in custody by authorities.

• Dissent: the expression of opinions that go against the official or majority viewpoint.

• Eroding: gradually wearing away, weakening, or diminishing over time.

• Frozen assets: money or property that a government or authority prevents someone

  from accessing, moving, or using, usually for legal or political reasons.

• Hallmark: a distinguishing feature or characteristic that is typical of a person, group, or system.

• Heart monitor: a medical device that tracks heart activity, often used to monitor irregular heartbeats.

• Media mogul: a wealthy or powerful individual who owns and influences major media outlets.

• Mourn: to feel or express deep sadness or grief, often because of a loss such as the

  death of a person or the end of something valued.

• Palpitations: rapid, strong, or irregular heartbeats that can indicate stress or health issues.

• Prosecutors: legal officials who present the government’s case against someone accused of a crime.

• Raided: when police or authorities forcibly enter a place to search, seize property, or arrest people.

• Sanctions: penalties or restrictions (economic or political) imposed by one country on another.

• Secession: the act of formally withdrawing or breaking away from a political union, organization, or country, usually by a region or group seeking independence.

• Solitary confinement: the practice of keeping a prisoner isolated from others, often for extended periods.

• Subversion of state power: actions aimed at undermining, weakening, or overthrowing the authority of a government.

• Typhoon: a severe tropical storm, common in East Asia.