HONG KONG, Aug. 28 (Xinhua) -- Closing arguments in the trial of Jimmy Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, and three companies linked to the now-defunct Apple Daily have been completed, with a verdict expected at a later date.
The closing arguments began on Aug. 18, 2025, and were finalized on Thursday at the West Kowloon Magistrates' Court. The defendants include Lai, Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited, and Apple Daily Internet Limited, all facing charges of conspiracy to publish seditious materials and conspiracy to collude with external forces. Lai is also facing a separate charge of conspiring to collude with external forces.
The case officially commenced on Dec. 18, 2023, and has been presided over by three judges appointed under the national security law in Hong Kong. The prosecution concluded its presentation of evidence on June 11, 2024, and on July 25, the court ruled that all charges were substantiated. Lai's testimony began on Nov. 20, 2024, and ended in March 2025.
