HK Court Rejects Jimmy Lai’s Bid to Dismiss Sedition Charge
- Lai’s lawyers argued prosecutors brought charge too late
- Trial of the Apple Daily founder will resume in January
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A Hong Kong court rejected Jimmy Lai’s request to throw out a sedition charge on Friday, handing the democracy activist an early defeat in a trial closely scrutinized by Western governments.
Judges at the West Kowloon Court ruled that prosecutors brought the charge against Lai within a six-month time limit after the alleged offense, conspiracy to publish seditious material. The decision means the 76-year-old Apple Daily founder will be tried for all three of the original charges, including two national security charges that could see him jailed for life.