Prosecution said Jimmy Lai featured in foreign interviews calling for sanctions against China

Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s national security trial on Tuesday resumed after an afternoon break, with prosecutors laying out the details of what they describe as Lai colluding with foreign forces, including playing several video clips of Lai calling for sanctions against China and the SAR in a variety of interviews and podcasts.

Various clips of interviews that Lai had done with foreign media outlets as well as speeches he had given at events between 2019 and 2020 were played in court by the prosecution in the afternoon.

One of the clips saw Lai being interviewed by Bloomberg, with Lai calling for support from foreign governments and urging US officials as well as then-US President Donald Trump to impose “draconian” measures on China and Chinese officials in retaliation to imposing the national security law and restricting the freedoms of Hong Kong.

Lai was also quoted saying during an interview in the US that “Hong Kong was fighting a cold war for the US,” adding that the US government should send senators to the city to mentally support its people to “fight the war.”

Social media posts published on Lai’s Twitter account and articles written by Lai were also shown in court by the prosecution, as well as a chart displaying a picture of Lai alongside images of Trump, former Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, former US Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and individuals in Taiwan.

The prosecution also mentioned in its statement that several "accomplice" witnesses would be called, including former Apple Daily editor Chan Pui-man and other executives from the newspaper.

The judge adjourned the trial until Wednesday, when the prosecution will continue to deliver its opening statement.