Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy figure, took the stand Wednesday for the first time in court since his arrest nearly four years ago, saying his newspaper represented the freedoms that people in the city valued.
One of the most vocal critics of China's ruling Communist Party, Lai, 77, is accused of advocating for secession and being the mastermind behind anti-government protests that swept across the city in 2019. Prosecutors in a landmark national security trial have charged him with conspiring and colluding with "foreign forces.” They say he led a campaign to get foreign governments to target Hong Kong and China with sanctions in response to moves by authorities to crush dissent.
Lai, who has pleaded not guilty, faces up to life in prison if convicted.
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