Lawyers for Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai appealed to the United Nations expert on torture over the treatment of a witness they believe was tortured before giving incriminating evidence
Cross-posted from: beehaw.org/post/10781442
Lai, 76, founder of now-shuttered pro-democracy paper Apple Daily and a leading critic of the Chinese Communist Party, faces two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under a national security law China imposed in 2020.
He pleaded not guilty on Tuesday.
“The appeal expresses grave concerns over the treatment of a key prosecution witness in the ongoing trial of Jimmy Lai, Andy Li (Li Yu-Hin), and its implications for Mr Lai’s trial,” Lai’s legal team from Doughty Street International said.
“Credible evidence is emerging that Andy Li was tortured when in prison in China before confessing to allegedly conspiring with Jimmy Lai to collude with foreign entities to endanger national security,” their statement added.