Verdict on Jimmy Lai is reached strictly in accordance with law and evidence: HKSAR govt

HONG KONG -- The verdict on the national security case of Jimmy Lai is well-grounded and appropriate and fully demonstrates that the court has acted strictly in accordance with the law and evidence, a spokesperson with China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) government said on Monday.

The court has made clear that Lai was not convicted for his political views or beliefs, and the guilty verdict was free from interference or political considerations, the spokesperson said in an online statement.

Lai, an instigator of anti-China riots in Hong Kong, was found guilty on Monday on two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.

Commenting on the case, HKSAR Chief Executive John Lee said that the verdict has fully reflected the justice of the law and upheld the core values of Hong Kong.

The law will never allow anyone to blatantly harm one's own country or compatriots in the name of human rights, democracy or freedom, Lee said.

He underscored that the HKSAR government has the responsibility to safeguard national security and will resolutely combat behaviors and activities endangering it.

In the statement, the spokesperson said that Lai's case has faced smears and interference from various quarters, particularly from Western powers led by the United States.

Some individuals with ulterior motives have sought to conflate the criminal conducts in this case with press freedom. In fact, Hong Kong people enjoy press and speech freedoms as protected by the HKSAR Basic Law and the Hong Kong Bill of Rights Ordinance, the spokesperson said.

"Lai's case has nothing to do with press freedom. The defendants have for years used news reporting as a cover to engage in activities detrimental to the country and Hong Kong," the spokesperson noted.

The spokesperson also said that Lai has received comprehensive medical care during his detention and has been provided with religious services in accordance with his wishes.

Noting that the region still faces national security risks, the spokesperson said that the HKSAR government will continue to firmly safeguard national sovereignty, security and development interests under the solid protection of the national security law in Hong Kong and the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance.