Jimmy Lai reports to UN Special Rapporteur
“There is evidence of torture when arrested in China in 2020.”
While the National Security Law trial of Jimmy Lai (76), the founder of Hong Kong’s anti-China media outlet ‘Bin Fruit Daily’, is ongoing, claims have been raised that a key witness proving his guilt was tortured in mainland China.
According to Taiwan’s Central News Agency on the 5th, Jimmy Lai’s defense team reported to Alice Jill, Special Rapporteur of the UN Human Rights Council, that “It appears that Andy Li (Chinese name Li Yuxuan), a witness in Lai’s trial, was tortured in China.”
Andy Lee, a Hong Kong human rights activist, is one of 12 Hong Kongers who were tried in China after being caught by the Chinese coast guard while trying to seek asylum in Taiwan by speedboat in August 2020.
Afterwards, Hong Kong prosecutors adopted Lee as a witness to prove Jimmy Ramy’s guilt.
Lai’s lawyers argued, “There is credible evidence that Li was tortured in a Chinese prison before confessing to conspiring with Lai.”
In other words, there is a possibility that Lai perjured his guilt through torture by China.
The Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have not yet released an official position regarding Lai’s defense team’s actions.
Jimmy Lai’s trial, considered the most high-profile trial of a Hong Kong journalist since Hong Kong’s return to China in 1997, began on December 18 last year.
The trial is expected to last 80 days.
The Hong Kong National Security Law defines “the act of urging foreign governments or organizations to block or impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China” as a “foreign collusion crime.” If you are found guilty of collusion with foreign powers, you will be sentenced to 3 to 10 years in prison. A serious violation can result in a prison sentence of 10 years or more, up to a maximum of life imprisonment.
Lai, who appeared in court on the 2nd, reportedly denied charges of violating the National Security Act.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.