Overview

• In Thursday’s hearing, defence lawyer Robert Pang argued Lai’s social media and livestream remarks were opinion rather than collusion, as Judge Esther Toh told him to interpret the statements without obfuscation.
• Prosecutors pointed to 161 articles and op-eds to argue Lai conspired to lobby Western governments to sanction China and Hong Kong and to support a separate seditious-publication charge.
• Lai has pleaded not guilty to two counts of foreign collusion and one count of conspiring to publish seditious materials, offenses that carry a potential life sentence under the 2020 national security law.
• Reporters Without Borders said a coalition of 72 rights and press groups urged UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to secure the release of Lai, a British citizen.
• Hong Kong authorities rejected foreign criticism of the case and said Lai is receiving adequate medical care after he was fitted with a heart-rate monitor and prescribed medication following reported heart palpitations.