The 77-year-old founder of the now-shut Apple Daily newspaper has been behind bars since late 2020 as his case made its way through the courts, with many Western nations and rights groups calling for his release.
Lai has contested charges of foreign collusion under the Chinese city's national security law, which Beijing imposed after Hong Kong saw huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests in 2019.
Judge Esther Toh said on Thursday that the court will inform parties "in good time" as to when the verdict will be delivered.
Appearing in the dock in a white shirt and tan suit jacket, Lai smiled and waved to supporters, who waved back wordlessly after courtroom staff insisted on maintaining "absolute silence".
His case involves thousands of pages of documentary evidence which may take judges months to review, a legal source told AFP.
If the tycoon is found guilty, the court will need to hear additional arguments on sentencing.
Aside from two counts of the collusion offence -- which could land him in prison for life -- Lai is also charged with "seditious publication" related to 161 articles, including op-eds under his name.
At trial, prosecutors painted him as the "mastermind" behind multiple criminal conspiracies: one involving Apple Daily executives, another involving a web of foreign connections.
The conspirators allegedly used various platforms to request Western countries to impose "sanctions, blockades or hostile actions" towards China and Hong Kong around the time of the 2019 protests.
Defence lawyers countered that Lai had no intention to continue such activities after Hong Kong's national security law took effect in June 2020.
They added that Lai, who is a British citizen, was exercising his rights, including that of free speech, without criminal intent.
- Lai 'sowed fear' -
As the trial entered its final stages, the three-judge panel -- selected from a pool of jurists hand-picked by Hong Kong's leader -- often took a dim view of the tycoon's political opinions.
"Freedom of expression is not absolute, it has limits even in Western countries," Toh said last week as she heard closing arguments.
At one point, the judge picked up on a comment Lai made in 2020 criticising Chinese President Xi Jinping for clamping down on dissent and "eliminating the Hong Kong people".
"(Lai) is sowing fear to the population and the outside world," Toh said.
Seated in the dock, Lai remained impassive and watched the evidence displayed on a screen.
The tycoon has been jailed for more than four years, reportedly in solitary confinement, and has lost weight during that time.
Throughout much of the proceedings, members of Lai's family, including his wife Teresa, observed from the public gallery.
Consular representatives from the European Union, United States, United Kingdom and other democratic nations were also frequently spotted in court.
Defence lawyers said this month that Lai had experienced heart palpitations and had an episode where he felt like he was "collapsing".
He continued to attend hearings without visible discomfort after he was prescribed medication and fitted with a heart rate monitor.
Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai's legal woes: key dates
Hong Kong (AFP) Aug 28, 2025 -
The 77-year-old has spent more than four years behind bars as his case made its way through the court.
Here are some key dates:
- 1995: launch of Apple Daily -
Apple Daily was founded in the twilight years of British colonial rule over Hong Kong, with many residents anxious about China taking over in 1997.
The newspaper became a commercial success but also drew flak for its brash tabloid style.
- April 2019: Lai opposes government bill -
Hong Kong authorities proposed a bill that would allow some criminal suspects to be sent to mainland China for trial, sparking furore from the city's pro-democracy camp.
Lai's comments blasting the bill were quoted in Apple Daily.
Prosecutors would cite this as Lai being part of a "conspiracy to publish seditious publications".
- July 2019: Lai's Washington trip -
As opposition to the government bill blossomed into citywide protests, Lai travelled to Washington to meet with Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo, then US vice president and secretary of state.
Lai later made another US trip to meet then House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.
Prosecutors alleged these moves were part of a conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to impose sanctions on China and Hong Kong.
- May 2020: Lai braces for crackdown -
As protests dwindled in 2020, Lai and Hong Kong's pro-democracy camp anticipated backlash in the form of a national security law.
Prosecutors said Lai redoubled his international lobbying efforts to deter Beijing, including calling on Hong Kongers to write letters seeking help from US President Donald Trump.
On June 30, Beijing imposed a sweeping national security law (NSL) on Hong Kong.
- August 2020: Police arrest Lai, raid newsroom -
Lai and several others were arrested under the NSL on August 10, with hundreds of police officers raiding the Apple Daily newsroom.
While initially granted bail, Lai was taken back into custody on December 31, 2020 and has been behind bars ever since.
- June 2021: Apple Daily shuts down -
Aside from hitting Lai and multiple Apple Daily executives with NSL charges, Hong Kong authorities also froze the paper's assets.
As Apple Daily printed its final edition on June 24, staff and readers gathered outside the paper's headquarters for an emotional farewell.
- December 2022: Beijing steps in -
The government opposed Lai's choice of trial lawyer, British barrister Tim Owen, despite local courts siding with the media tycoon.
Upon the request of city leader John Lee, China's top legislature stepped in to overrule Hong Kong judges -- the most direct example so far of Beijing's influence over Lai's case.
- December 2023: trial begins -
Lai was charged with two counts of "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" under the NSL and one count of "conspiracy to publish seditious publication" under a colonial-era law.
He pleaded not guilty.
The trial was heard by three judges selected from a pool of jurists hand-picked by Hong Kong's leader. There was no jury.
- November 2024: Lai testifies -
Lai testified for more than 50 days, often verbally sparring with the prosecution and judges.
"The core values of Apple Daily are actually the core values of the people of Hong Kong," he told the court.
The tycoon maintained that he never supported violent protests.
- August 2025: Closing arguments -
Defence lawyers said Lai had experienced heart palpitations and at one point felt like he was "collapsing", following previous concerns over Lai's health by his family and rights groups.
Authorities said in response that Lai was receiving "adequate and comprehensive" medical care.
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