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Hong Kong Court Pauses Jimmy Lai’s Closing Arguments Over Heart Concerns

Judges ordered a weekend hiatus for Lai to get medication alongside a heart monitor before he faces the court again Monday.

FILE - Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai pauses during an interview in Hong Kong on July 1, 2020. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu, File)
A prison van believed to be carrying Jimmy Lai arrives at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts building for the closing submissions in the national security collusion trial of Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, in Hong Kong, China, August 15, 2025. REUTERS/Lam Yik
Media mogul Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, arrives the Court of Final Appeal by prison van in Hong Kong, China February 1, 2021. REUTERS/Tyrone Siu TPX IMAGES OF THE DAY
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Overview

  • The hearing was twice delayed this week—first by a severe rainstorm, then after defense lawyers reported Lai’s heart palpitations.
  • Lai has been held since December 2020 under Hong Kong’s national security law that bars juries and permits life sentences for collusion and seditious publication.
  • Defense lawyers said the 77-year-old has lost significant weight and suffers from diabetes after prolonged solitary confinement.
  • Prosecutors highlighted a diagram linking Lai to US, UK and Taiwan figures and alleged he funded overseas protest ads, charges he denies.
  • A verdict is now anticipated within weeks to months, with international figures, including Donald Trump and Britain’s prime minister, urging his release.