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Advocacy group allegedly backed by Jimmy Lai submitted draft proposal to Japanese lawmakers for sanctions against Hong Kong, court hears
- Two draft proposals were sent to Japanese lawmaker Takashi Takai, one targeted alleged human rights abuses in city, while other addressed such concerns in general
- ‘[We] hoped the lawmakers would adopt this draft bill and submit it [to the lower house of the National Diet for discussion] if they thought it was OK,’ witness says
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A global advocacy group allegedly supported by media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying submitted a draft proposal to Japanese lawmakers for sanctions against Hong Kong over its handling of the 2019 anti-government protests, a court has heard.
Detained activist Andy Li Yu-hin on Friday explained how the “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong” (SWHK) group lobbied in Japan in late 2019 and early 2020 before the Beijing-decreed national security law came into force.
The defendant turned prosecution witness said he had linked up an SWHK volunteer in Japan to Takashi Takai, a member of the Japanese House of Representatives, for the proposal of a draft bill similar to the 2012 Magnitsky Act in the United States, which was designed to sanction human rights offenders.
West Kowloon Court heard Li included two versions of the draft bill in an email to Takai and his wife, one targeting alleged human rights abuses in Hong Kong and the other addressing such concerns in the world in general.
The documents were also reportedly forwarded to Shiori Kanno, then House of Representatives member who was alleged to be a co-conspirator in Lai’s case.
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