Lai’s alleged accomplice, Chan, testified in court about the impact of Jimmy Lai’s arrest on their anti-China efforts. Lai and his assistant, Simon, reportedly believed his arrest would bring more attention and boost Apple sales. Chan also spoke about attempts to broaden their network and lobby for sanctions against Hong Kong and China. Lai faces accusations of orchestrating an anti-China campaign through the advocacy group “Fight for Freedom, Stand with Hong Kong.”
Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, is accused of using a paralegal as a middleman to relay instructions to activists in the United States. The instructions allegedly included urging activists to lobby foreign government officials and those working “under the table”, such as political advisers, to instigate economic sanctions and other hostile acts against Hong Kong and mainland China. Lai is also accused of discussing with the United States about ways to support the youngsters involved in the 2019 unrest.
