SW News: A Hong Kong court has said that arrested media mogul Jimmy Lai’s request to be represented by a British lawyer in his upcoming trial has been denied.

A prominent critic of the Chinese Communist Party, Lai Chee-Ying also known as Jimmy Lai, was arrested on August 10, 2020, by police for violating the country’s new national security law, an action which provoked widespread criticism.

The Catholic philanthropist was a thorn in the side of Chinese authorities as the Apple Daily newspaper he founded openly “criticized the Chinese regime and it widely covered 2019’s pro-democracy protests”. Lai and executives of Apple Daily, which was forced to shut down, are being prosecuted for “collusion with foreign forces.” The offense is punishable by life in prison under the National Security Law imposed in 2020 by Beijing on Hong Kong to end all opposition.

High Court Judge Alex Lee said the government and the city bar association opposed Lai's request to be represented by a London lawyer.

According to Lai, he aspired to maintain freedom of speech in Hong Kong through Apple Daily. Six executives of the now defunct daily said they intend to plead guilty but Lai has said he will contest the charges against him. A guilty plea usually entitles defendants to a reduction in their sentence. In August, the Minister of Justice declared that the magnate would be tried by three magistrates chosen by the executive and not by a jury, which is a deviation from the legal tradition of the city.

Lai called the Chinese Communist Party "a monopoly that charges a premium for lousy service". Businesses started distancing themselves from placing advertisements in Apple Daily to avoid retaliation from the Chinese government.

In an interview with BBC, when he was temporarily out on bail, Lai tearfully admitted his fear for his family as he continued his activism. He stated that "If the government can induce fear in you, that's the easiest way to control you", adding how it was the cheapest and most effective way to control people.