Overview

• Lai, founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, faces charges of colluding with foreign forces and issuing seditious publications under the 2020 national security law, punishable by up to life in prison.
• Final arguments opened after more than 150 days of hearings and two postponements triggered by severe weather and his health scare.
• His legal team reported heart palpitations last week, prompting judges to order medication, a heart monitor and additional breaks in proceedings.
• Australia, the United States and other Western governments have publicly expressed concern over his treatment and the trial’s broader rights implications.
• Rights groups and observers describe the jury-less trial as a decisive test for media freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong.