(Jan 12): Former Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai’s legal team urged a local court to grant the 78-year-old democracy advocate a lighter sentence, in a landmark national security case that has drawn scrutiny from US President Donald Trump and other Western governments.
Defence counsel Robert Pang argued for leniency on Monday citing Lai’s advanced age, health and prolonged isolation since he was detained in 2020. The founder of now-defunct Apple Daily faces a maximum penalty of life in prison after being found guilty of offences under the National Security Law imposed by Beijing to curb dissent.
A severe sentence could become a source of friction between Beijing and Washington as Trump has repeatedly called for his release, saying he “was not a young guy”. Following his conviction last month, foreign governments including the UK and the European Union repeated their calls for freeing Lai, criticising what they described as a politically motivated prosecution.
Hong Kong authorities have decried such remarks as interference and insisted that Lai received a fair trial.
Pang said Lai has high blood pressure and lost considerable weight in asking the panel of three handpicked judges to avoid a “crushing sentence”, according to a written submission. He also cited the about five years Lai spent in solitary confinement, during which he’s allowed to leave his cell for less than an hour every day.
Justice Esther Toh countered that the isolation was Lai’s “own choice” for security reasons. The prosecution had said Lai requested being removed from association himself, citing fears of harassment by others in custody. Pang argued that regardless of the reason, the isolation amounts to an additional burden on the defendant.
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Prosecutors also disputed the claims about weight loss, citing records purportedly showing Lai weighed 80kg upon his 2020 admission and 79.2kg this month.
Pang questioned if the initial weight was a typo and should have been 90kg, given Lai weighed 86kg in June 2024. The prosecution said it had verified the records, although Pang said he’s “sceptical that someone gained weight during incarceration.”
Toh questioned the assumption, saying, “I gained weight when I’m on holiday.”
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Another judge, Susana Maria D’Almada Remedios, said she understood Pang’s concern, noting the defence submission that Lai’s weight fell to 75kg in April last year.
Lai, who could complete sentences for previous non-security cases as soon as June 11, faces a minimum of 10 years for conspiring to collude with foreign forces. The mitigation hearings for him and other defendants are expected to finish this week, with sentencing to follow on a later date.
Uploaded by Felyx Teoh
