British lawyer pulls out of high-profile Hong Kong case following ‘pressure’ from UK
A British prosecutor set to lead the case against media mogul Jimmy Lai and several pro-democracy activists has withdrawn after ‘pressure’ from the UK, Hong Kong’s Department of Justice said this morning.
Hired by the Hong Kong government, David Perry QC indicated that “the trial should proceed without him”, the Department of Justice said in a statement.
The case against Lai and pro-democracy activists Martin Lee and Margaret Ng was launched following protests in August 2019.
Lai has been charged with offences under the city’s controversial new security law and is the highest profile figure to be charged after Beijing imposed the new law on Hong Kong in June of last year.
The Department of Justice said it had hired another lawyer to prosecute the case.