Hong Kong’s Jimmy Lai admits ‘mistake’ of sharing British activist’s tweet

But former media boss nonetheless ‘agrees’ with message that called for sanctions after ‘disenfranchisement’ of 2020 Legco elections

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Jimmy Lai has told a Hong Kong court it was a “mistake” to retweet a message calling for sanctions even as he agreed with its contents. Photo: AFP

Published: 4:41pm, 13 Dec 2024Updated: 9:41pm, 13 Dec 2024

Former media boss Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has said he would “take full responsibility” for a “mistake” allowing a British political activist’s appeal for sanctions on Hong Kong and Beijing officials to be shared on his social media profile.

But Lai told his high-profile national security trial he supported a US bank’s decision to cancel the account of the top adviser to Hong Kong’s leader in July 2020, saying he believed the hostile measure represented “only a tip of the iceberg” with more “overwhelming” sanctions to follow.

The founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily tabloid returned to West Kowloon Court on Friday to give evidence for a 17th day regarding the online comments he made about mainland China and Hong Kong.

The 77-year-old has denied two conspiracy charges of collusion with foreign forces as well as a third count of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.

The court’s attention was drawn to an online comment by British political activist Benedict Rogers, dated July 30, 2020, slamming the disqualifications of Hong Kong opposition hopefuls from the Legislative Council election originally slated for that year.

The government later postponed the poll for a year, citing the public health risks of the Covid-19 pandemic.