Verdict for H.K tycoon Jimmy Lai's national security trial expected on Monday

Hong Kong's High Court will hand down a verdict against pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai on Monday, according to a judiciary notice, in a landmark national security trial that has exemplified China's crackdown on rights and freedoms in the Asian financial hub.



Lai, 78, has pleaded not guilty to two charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious material in a case where he faces life imprisonment if convicted.



The 156-day trial, which began in December 2023, has drawn international scrutiny, including from the U.S., and is the most high-profile use of Beijing's sweeping national security law that was imposed after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.



Washington and several other countries say the trial is politically motivated and have demanded Lai's immediate release. U.S. President Donald Trump raised Lai's case during a meeting with China's leader Xi Jinping in South Korea in October.



His family and lawyers have said Lai's health is deteriorating and he suffers from diabetes, high blood pressure as well as heart palpitations that require medication.