IPAC, a group of more than 300 lawmakers from 33 different nations, denounced attempts to implicate several of its members in the” sham” trial, calling them “unacceptable infringements of the rights of foreign people.”
Finn Lau, a self-exiled Hong Kong advocate who is now based in Britain, even asserted on X that Lai was never involved in any of his efforts to promote democracy and human rights, while pleading for their quick release.
At least seven additional people have been charged with acting as Lai’s representatives or middlemen in requesting restrictions.
Among them are Benedict Rogers, the creator of Hong Kong Watch, James Blair Cunningham, previous US Army General Jack Keane, Paul Wolfowitz, and former United States assistant defense director.
Cunningham remarked in a statement,” The notion that it is illegal for him ( Lai ) to speak to politicians, business executives, international media figures, and activists, as well as myself—a former diplomat—is ludicrous in the extreme.”
Lai’s reported criminal interactions with various foreigners, according to Rogers on X,” should be regarded as wholly regular legitimate activity” for a newspaper publisher.
He continued,” The test showed just how drastically and thoroughly Hong Kong’s fundamental rights and the rule of law have been destroyed.”
Chau scanned Apple Daily articles, WhatsApp messages from Lai’s individual telephone, and court videos at the hearing on Wednesday.
He claimed that they had shown that Lai had contacted Chris Patten, a former British government, and given instructions to one of his managers on how to mobilize more protesters.
According to Chau, Lai instructed a helper to contact Wall Street Journal journalist Bill McGurn to request Patten’s participation in an Apple Daily subscription movie in May 2020.
In an effort to persuade other nations to “impose restrictions” against China and Hong Kong, Chau also charged Lai with launching an English-language information website that month.
Chau continued,” One Hongkonger, One Letter to Protect Hong Kong” campaign was started by Lai under the direction of one of his professionals.
These words were intended to be sent to Donald Trump, the country’s president at the time, requesting that he challenge China regarding the national security law of June 2020, which prohibited acts like conspiring with foreign troops and imposed life sentences.
Lai was referred to as an “agent and slave of unusual anti-China forces, who has clearly colluded with external forces to harm national protection” by the judge’s office of the Chinese foreign ministry in Hong Kong in a statement on Wednesday.
Additionally, it criticized some foreigners named in the test for “rebelling against China,” defaming the city’s laws, and “interfering with Hong Kong criminal justice.”
Lai’s test is being held for political reasons, according to calls for his quick release from custody from both the US and the UK.
Following widespread protests in 2019, Hong Kong authorities refute claims that Lai wo n’t be given a fair trial, stating that everyone is treated equally before the law and that the national security law has stabilized the city.