39 h. ago Beijing, Hong Kong slam G7 over criticism of Jimmy Lai trial verdict

Beijing and Hong Kong have slammed the G7 for “trampling the city’s rule of law” after the group criticised the guilty verdict handed down at former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s national security trial and demanded his immediate release. The strongly worded statements on Thursday were in response to a joint call from the foreign ministers of the G7 and the European Union’s high representative, who condemned Lai’s prosecution while expressing their ongoing concerns about “deteriorating...

Politics

68 h. ago Hong Kong Bar Association chief urges critics to assess Jimmy Lai verdict fairly

The chief of the Bar Association has called on the public and foreign governments to review the judgment against former media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, convicted of national security offences, before forming their own opinions, acknowledging such verdicts could spark controversy amid differing values. Speaking to the media on Wednesday, association chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet reaffirmed that Hong Kong’s judicial independence and the rule of law are “alive and strong”, despite the landmark...

Politics

3 d. ago Open court, detailed ruling in Jimmy Lai trial ‘prove Hong Kong rule of law strong’

An open court and a detailed ruling in former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s closely watched national security trial have demonstrated the strength of Hong Kong’s rule of law, legal experts have said. Lawyers, including the Hong Kong Bar Association, on Tuesday urged members of the public to respect the city’s judicial process and study the High Court’s judgment carefully before drawing conclusions after several Western countries criticised Lai’s guilty verdict, prompting a strong rebuke from...

Events

4 d. ago ‘Don’t be misled by lies,’ Beijing tells foreign media in Hong Kong after Lai verdict

Beijing’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong has issued a rare open letter explaining the “facts and truths” behind former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s guilty verdict, urging international media outlets to uphold objectivity and present an accurate picture to the world. “To help you better understand the case, I wish to present the facts and truths surrounding it,” a spokesman for the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said on Monday. The city’s High Court found...

Politics

4 d. ago ‘Don’t be misled by lies,’ Beijing tells foreign media in Hong Kong after Jimmy Lai ruling

Beijing’s foreign ministry arm in Hong Kong has issued a rare open letter explaining the “facts and truths” behind former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s guilty verdict, urging international media outlets to uphold objectivity and present an accurate picture to the world. “To help you better understand the case, I wish to present the facts and truths surrounding it,” a spokesman for the Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong said on Monday. The city’s High Court found...

Politics

4 d. ago ‘Don’t be misled,’ Beijing tells foreign media in Hong Kong after Lai verdict

‘Don’t be misled,’ Beijing tells foreign media in Hong Kong after Lai verdict  South China Morning Post

Politics

4 d. ago ‘Don’t be misled,’ Beijing tells foreign media in Hong Kong after Jimmy Lai verdict

The Chinese foreign ministry’s arm in Hong Kong has issued a rare open letter explaining the “facts and truths” behind former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s guilty verdict, urging international media outlets to uphold objectivity and present an accurate picture to the world. The Commissioner’s Office of China’s Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong on Tuesday also sent letters to The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal, condemning their editorials on the verdict as “wilful distortion” and...

Politics

4 d. ago ‘Despicable’: Hong Kong slams Western ‘smears’ as US calls for Jimmy Lai’s release

A political row over former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has intensified after his guilty verdict, with the Hong Kong government condemning what it called “despicable political manipulations” and the United States calling for his release. The clash overnight followed Monday’s guilty verdict against the 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper. Lai was convicted of two conspiracy counts of collusion with foreign forces and a third of conspiracy to print and distribute...

Politics

4 d. ago Hong Kong court’s verdict in Jimmy Lai trial sheds light on law, experts say

The court’s verdict in former Hong Kong media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s trial has shed light on the ways in which implicit acts and actions taken before the national security law came into effect may constitute criminal offences, legal experts have said. Lai, 78, was found guilty on all three charges he faced under the Beijing-imposed national security law on Monday, marking the first time a court had ruled on the offence of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. The landmark verdict was...

Events

4 d. ago Jimmy Lai’s conviction in Hong Kong becomes flashpoint between China, West

Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s guilty verdict in the former media boss’ landmark national security trial in Hong Kong has become a political flashpoint between China and its Western opponents, as they demand his immediate release while Beijing strongly rejects their interference. But while the High Court’s ruling on Monday could send the businessman-turned-opposition activist to jail for life, Western countries were unlikely to hit Hong Kong with more sanctions as they needed to cooperate with Beijing to...

Politics

4 d. ago Beijing, Hong Kong officials praise Jimmy Lai’s guilty verdict, press freedom NGOs slam nat. security ruling

Beijing, Hong Kong officials praise Jimmy Lai’s guilty verdict, press freedom NGOs slam nat. security ruling  Hong Kong Free Press

Politics

4 d. ago China Strongly Dissatisfied With Criticism Over Court Verdict on Jimmy Lai

China Strongly Dissatisfied With Criticism Over Court Verdict on Jimmy Lai  U.S. News & World Report

Events

5 d. ago Jimmy Lai trial: all eyes on Hong Kong as court set to deliver verdict

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Three Hong Kong judges who presided over former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s high-profile national security trial for more than 1½ years are set to return their verdict on Monday. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily has spent most of the past five years in solitary...

Events

5 d. ago Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai found guilty on all charges in national security trial

This story has been made freely available as a public service to our readers. Please consider supporting SCMP’s journalism by subscribing. Get faster notifications on the latest updates by downloading our app. Three Hong Kong judges who presided over former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s high-profile national security trial for more than 1½ years are set to return their verdict on Monday. The 78-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily has spent most of the past five years in solitary...

Events

5 d. ago Jimmy Lai's supporters queue in Hong Kong overnight for verdict

Jimmy Lai's supporters queue in Hong Kong overnight for verdict  Reuters

Politics

5 d. ago Jimmy Lai Verdict: Hong Kong’s Democracy Icon Faces Guilty Ruling Amid Beijing’s Grip

Jimmy Lai Verdict: Hong Kong’s Democracy Icon Faces Guilty Ruling Amid Beijing’s Grip  Azat TV

Politics

8 d. ago Hong Kong court to hand down verdict in Jimmy Lai national security trial on Monday

Hong Kong’s High Court will hand down its judgment in the national security trial of former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying on Monday. Judges Esther Toh Lye-ping, Susana Maria D’Almada Remedios and Alex Lee Wan-tang will deliver their verdict at 10am in a hearing that is expected to last for about an hour, according to the judiciary’s website, following a marathon trial that concluded in August after more than 1½ years. Lai, who has been detained since December 2020, has denied two conspiracy...

Events

8 d. ago Year of the Horse forecasts, Hong Kong bar scene’s trying time: 7 Lifestyle highlights

We have selected seven Lifestyle stories from the past seven days that resonated with our readers. If you would like to see more of our reporting, please consider subscribing. 1. Cantopop icon Alan Tam: from Leslie Cheung’s rival to fans smashing albums For over half a century, Alan Tam Wing-lun has stood as a colossus in Hong Kong show business. “Principal Tam” ruled Cantopop in the late 1970s and 80s but later vexed fans with his offstage actions. Still, he’s going strong today. 2. How does...

Politics

9 d. ago Bar Association first Hong Kong delegation to Beijing after fire, Legco election

The Hong Kong Bar Association will travel to Beijing next week to meet mainland Chinese officials, becoming the first delegation to visit the capital since the city’s deadliest fire in decades and its recent Legislative Council election. Chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet told the Post on Wednesday that the delegation would be happy to discuss possible legal reforms brought by the deadly Tai Po fire with central government authorities, including the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO),...

Politics

9 d. ago Bar Association is first Hong Kong delegation to visit Beijing after fire, poll

The Hong Kong Bar Association will travel to Beijing next week to meet mainland Chinese officials, becoming the first delegation to visit the capital since the city’s deadliest fire in decades and its recent Legislative Council election. Chairman Jose-Antonio Maurellet told the Post on Wednesday that the delegation would be happy to discuss possible legal reforms brought by the deadly Tai Po fire with central government authorities, including the Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office (HKMAO),...

Events