Apple Daily Founder Jimmy Lai on Trial in Hong Kong

Former Publisher Testifies Against Lai, Two U.S. Citizens Deny Allegations

Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, is on trial in Hong Kong, charged with 'conspiracy to collude with foreign forces' under the Hong Kong National Security Law.
Two U.S. citizens, Mark Simon and Mark Clifford, named in the trial deny allegations and claim their actions were part of normal journalistic work.
Former Apple Daily publisher, Cheung Kim-hung, testifies against Lai as an 'accomplice witness', alleging Lai sought writers for the tabloid through introductions from Simon and Clifford.
Prosecutors allege Lai used an article on the 'exile' of a bookseller to instigate a mass rally before protests broke out in 2019.
Lai is also accused of ordering staff to publish 'pro-resistance' and 'anti-establishment' articles on Apple Daily's English platform to boost US readership.