Hong Kong slams ‘smear campaigns’ as Jimmy Lai expected to return to court for trial
Government spokesman warns against anyone trying to interfere with the court
The Hong Kong government has strongly condemned “smear campaigns” by foreign forces and anti-China media companies in relation to the national security law trial of former newspaper boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, who is expected to return to court on Thursday.
A government spokesman warned on the eve of the trial resuming that it was inappropriate for anyone to comment on details of the case in an “attempt to interfere with the court to exercise judicial power independently, which might otherwise constitute perverting the course of justice”.
However, external forces and anti-China media would “still continue to distort the truth”, he said.
The spokesman noted that Lai’s lawyers had previously clarified that the former media boss had received appropriate treatment and welfare in prison, while stressing the trial was based on the principle of the rule of law.
Hong Kong law enforcement agencies had been taking actions strictly based on evidence, which had nothing to do with the political stance, background or occupation of the people or entities concerned, he added.