In Hong Kong, the disastrous legal marathon of opponent Jimmy Lai is coming to an end

It's the final stretch before the verdict, which should leave little room for suspense. Detained for more than 1,685 days and before the courts since December 2023, Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai enters the final phase of his trial this Thursday, August 14 in Hong Kong with the closing arguments of the prosecution and defense. Aged 77, the former boss of the now-closed tabloid Apple Daily is accused of "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" and "conspiracy to publish seditious documents." He is accused of violating the highly repressive national security law, passed in June 2020 and strengthened in March 2024 .

At the end of the hearings, the judges will first decide on Lai's guilt or innocence. Then they will have to decide on the sentence, taking into account