Lai, who founded the Apple Daily newspaper that was forced to close after a police raid and asset freeze in June 2021, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material.
His lawyer, Robert Pang, told the court that Lai experienced some episodes where he felt like “collapsing”, adding he had accepted recommendations by a visiting medical specialist, but the arrangements were still being made.”He hasn’t got the medication recommended by the specialist nor the monitor, so I am a little concerned,” said one of the judges, Esther Toh.
Lai, a British citizen, has been held in solitary confinement for more than 1,700 days, with his son previously raising concerns over his deteriorating health.Prosecutor Anthony Chau told the court that a medical team was on standby in the court, and that the medication and heart monitor would be provided before the hearing recommences on Monday.
Some Western governments, including the US, have called for Lai’s immediate release, saying the trial is politically motivated under a years-long national security crackdown in the China-ruled financial hub. Hong Kong and Chinese authorities have said Lai is being given a fair trial and condemned foreign governments for meddling in domestic affairs.
US President Donald Trump said in a media interview on Thursday that he would “do everything I can to save him.”
Diplomats from at least seven countries attended the hearing, with the closing submissions expected to last eight days. The three judges are then expected to deliberate for several months before laying down a verdict — over five years after Lai was first arrested in August 2020.
Lai arrived at the court on Friday wearing a white windproof jacket and smiled and waved to his family and supporters — some of whom queued for hours to get a ticket for the packed courtroom.
His national security trial began in December 2023. In the witness box, Lai said he was defending free speech and rejected allegations that he lobbied the US to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China.
