IAPL
Barristers from a British law firm who are representing jailed Hong Kong tycoon and democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai said on Thursday they had received anonymous emails warning them against travelling to the city to defend him.
Lai is among the most prominent people to be charged under a national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong in June 2020 to punish terrorism, collusion with foreign forces, subversion and secession with possible life imprisonment.
Critics of the law say authorities are using it to stifle dissent, a charge officials in Hong Kong and Beijing reject.
The barristers – Caoilfhionn Gallagher, Jonathan Price and Jennifer Robinson from Doughty Street Chambers – told Reuters the messages came from a generic Gmail address.
“A person that refuses to abide by the laws of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region could be extradited…from other jurisdictions. Foreign nationals will be charged with the offences of subversion,” one of the emails said. “You have been warned not to attempt entry or land in Chinese territory.”
The barristers declined to say if they would be travelling to the former British colony for the trial.
Gallagher has previously been targeted by state-backed media, with an article on March 2 in the Wen Wei Po newspaper describing her as “anti-China” and opposed to the national security law.
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