Hong Kong residents and organizations on Wednesday expressed firm opposition to foreign interference in Jimmy Lai Chee-ying’s case, emphasizing that the guilty verdict on him is a fair judicial ruling and an internal affair of the special administrative region.

Members of the Democratic Alliance for the Betterment and Progress of Hong Kong – the city’s biggest political party – and residents gathered outside the United States Consulate General in HKSAR to deplore the US government for undermining Hong Kong’s rule of law and interfering in the case.

DAB Vice-Chairman Brave Chan Yung said Lai has long exploited his media platforms to oppose the nation and destabilize Hong Kong, and openly asked foreign countries to impose sanctions and take other hostile actions against the SAR and China.

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Western countries, by disregarding Lai’s criminal acts and making unfounded criticisms of the verdict, have grossly interfered in the judicial independence of Hong Kong and violated the fundamental norms of international law and relations.

Resident groups also assembled at the British Consulate General in HKSAR and submitted a letter of protest. A representative said the United Kingdom’s unjustified remarks about Lai’s case and its defamation of the HKSAR’s judicial system constitute blatant interference in China’s internal affairs and a flagrant violation of the rule of law.

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The representative emphasized that Hong Kong’s High Court has delivered a fair judgment, reflecting the integrity and authority of the judicial system.

At the Australian Consulate General in the HKSAR, protesters urged the Australian government to immediately cease its erroneous actions, respect China’s sovereignty, abide by international law and the basic norms of international relations and stop interfering in the internal affairs of China and the HKSAR.

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The groundswell of opposition to foreign intervention came after three High Court judges on Monday found Lai guilty on all three charges against him – two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security; and one of conspiracy to publish seditious materials.

Three companies related to Lai, who founded the now-shuttered Apple Daily -- Apple Daily Ltd, Apple Daily Printing Ltd and AD Internet Ltd -- were also convicted on charges of conspiring to print, publish, sell, offer for sale, distribute, display, and/or reproduce seditious publications; and conspiring to commit collusion with a foreign country or external elements to endanger national security.

Contact the writer at atlasshao@chinadailyhk.com