Hong Kong's Jimmy Lai pleads not guilty in trial

STORY: Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai pleaded not guilty on Tuesday (January 2) in his landmark national security trial.

The 76-year-old is charged with two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under a sweeping national security law that Bejing imposed on Hong Kong in 2020.

The prosecution alleged Lai that called for foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and Chinese officials.

Lai, who is the founder of now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, is also charged with conspiracy to publish seditious publications.

The pro-democracy advocate denies all three charges.

Marathon legal proceedings had stretched over three years since Lai was arrested.

On Tuesday, the prosecution outlined key details of their case for the first time -including meetings with senior figures in the former administration of U.S. President Donald Trump - evidence, they said, that he colluded with foreign forces.

They displayed a chart showing a picture of Lai alongside images of then-Vice President Mike Pence, former Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and Trump.

Prosecutor Anthony Chau said Lai had been calling for sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials since 2019.

Washington slapped several rounds of sanctions on political figures, including Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee after the China-imposed national security law was enacted.

Both the United States and Britain have called for Lai's immediate release, saying his trial is politically motivated.

Over 280 pro-democracy activists and politicians in Hong Kong have been arrested since the national security law was imposed.

Authorities dispute claims of unfair trials, saying all are equal before the law and that the security law has brought stability after mass protests in 2019.