Jimmy Lai's High-Stakes Trial: Unfairness, Diplomatic Pressure, and Activism in Hong Kong

Media tycoon Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy figure in Hong Kong, has begun his trial on charges of sedition and colluding with foreign forces. Lai, who has spent decades challenging the Hong Kong administration and Beijing, was one of the first targets of the national-security law imposed in 2020. The government has taken measures to ensure a conviction, including preventing Lai from appointing his preferred barrister and having the trial decided by judges approved by the city's chief executive. Lai's trial has drawn condemnation from the US, UK, and EU, but he is reportedly resigned to his fate.