Trump wants to free Jimmy Lai - Hong Kong's court decides on his fate

Trump wants to free Jimmy Lai - Hong Kong's court decides on his fate

In the days before his possible win of the second term as President, Donald Trump promised something daring: If he returned to the White House, he would free a controversial, homemade billionaire from a prison in Hong Kong. "100% I'll get it out. It will be easy," Trump confidently explained in one Podcast interview in October.

Almost ten months later, this Tycoon, Jimmy Lai-a pro-democratic fighter and constant thorn in the eye of Beijings-continues to sit behind bars. The 77-year-old media mogul has spent more than 1,600 days in a high-security prison, a large part of it in solitary confinement, and sees the opportunity to spend the rest of his life there.

Jimmy Lai and his symbolic struggle

Lai, the radical founder of the now closed Apple Daily-a vehement pro-democratic tabloid that led sharp attacks on the China Communist Party for years, until its forced closure occurred-has become a symbol for Beijing's extensive financial center.

In his groundbreaking process, Lai is accused of aid to foreign forces - an offense that can be punished according to the National Security Act with lifelong detention, which is imposed by Beijing in 2020 - as well as a separate indictment. He did not guilty on all charges.

Question of fate in court

On Thursday, a court in Hong Kong will listen to the final arguments of both the defense and the public prosecutor's office, which prepares the way for a judgment that will determine Lai's fate - and could put Trump's determination to the trial of his promise while trying to conclude a trade agreement with Chinese head of state XI Jinping.

Quid per quo?

In the podcast interview, Trump replied with "100% yes" when he asked the moderator Hugh Hewitt whether he would speak to XI to get Lai out of the country if he won the election. As President, Trump offered to spoke Lai's case with China as part of US trade talks. "I think talking about Jimmy Lai is a very good idea," he said in one Radio interview In May, just a few days before civil servants in Geneva met for the first talks.

Two people who are close to Lai and stand up for his release reported that US authorities had actually addressed the LAI case during the negotiations. "We understand that it was informal in the trade talks, but we don't know the context," said Lai's high -ranking employee Mark Simon.

Political support in Washington

The hearing of Lais Fall takes place just a few days after Trump's extension of the trade rest with China, which gives another 90 days to solve their trade and technology conflicts. In the past few weeks, Trump has alleviated his confrontative attitude towards Beijing and enthusiastically talked about a visit to China when XI invites him, "in the near future" if an agreement is achieved.

Experts in the relationships between the United States and China are unsure whether Trump can keep his promise to free Lai. "Jimmy Lai is British, not American. In view of the high profile of his case, I doubt China is ready to do a business," says Yun Sun, director of the China program in the Stimson Center in Washington.

A race against time

Time is forced to support Lai because they are concerned about his health. "He is 77 years old and will soon be 78. Any kind of imprisonment is extremely worrying for his health," says his son, Sebastien Lai. "We are incredibly concerned about him." In the meantime, the Hong Kong government has decided to reject the allegations of Lai's treatment as "misleading statements".

Lai supporters continue to work for his release, and it remains to be seen whether Trump's promises can actually be redeemed. The case remains a focal point in international relationships between the USA and China and is being pursued with tension.