Sentencing pleas in the Jimmy Lai case took a stark turn on day two. Two of Apple Daily's most senior executives—publisher Cheung Kim-hung and deputy publisher Chan Pui-man—laid bare the brutal reality of working under Lai's thumb.
Through their lawyers, Cheung and Chan described an environment where dissent was futile, orders were absolute, and resistance meant risking everything. Both painted a picture of powerless lieutenants dragged down an illegal path by a boss who wouldn't budge.
Defense counsel argued Cheung Kim-hung held the CEO title but lacked real authority. He could only execute the "mastermind's" orders—objection achieved nothing.
During trial testimony, both executives recounted losing their free will under Lai's command. On Tuesday, Chan went further. She revealed she'd considered quitting but couldn't afford to walk away because of her own medical need. She told the court she deeply regretted failing to hold fast to journalistic principles.
Lai's Top Gun
Cheung Kim-hung was Lai's number one. He'd jumped ship from Apple Daily back in 2005, only to return five years later and climb to publisher and CEO. But when the anti-extradition protests erupted, Cheung became what his lawyer called an "execution tool"—someone who could only carry out the boss's orders.
Yesterday's plea hearing revealed a telling example. Lai wanted to bring former US Army Vice Chief of Staff Jack Keane onto his interview show. Cheung pushed back, asking whether it "might be too sensitive." Lai ignored him. After the Hong Kong National Security Law took effect, Cheung tried again—this time urging Lai and colleagues not to break the law. The evidence speaks for itself: despite repeated warnings, Lai pressed on, only tweaking his methods slightly.
Defense counsel made it clear: Cheung wanted to limit the damage but had no real control. Yes, he held the CEO title. But actual power? Limited. He could only follow the "mastermind's" instructions and try to minimize the fallout from the coverage.
In court testimony, Cheung didn't mince words about being trapped. He called himself a "tool." Lai constantly issued editorial directives and had the final say on everything. Refusing wasn't really an option. Editorial autonomy existed only in the gaps—those rare moments when Lai hadn't issued orders. At the infamous "lunchbox meetings," Lai would spell out his political stance and tell everyone to fall in line.
About a month after the National Security Law came into force, both Cheung and Chan worried they were heading into legal danger. They opposed some of Lai's moves. Lai went his own way and dismissed their concerns.
Chan's Impossible Choice
Deputy publisher Chan Pui-man faced the same crushing dynamic. When Lai proposed using Apple Daily to mobilize a "one person, one letter" campaign urging Trump to intervene, Chan did raise objection. Lai pushed ahead anyway.
During her testimony, Chan revealed Lai went even further. He ordered her to compile a "Shit list"—a sanctions target list naming HKSAR officials and political figures. This dragged her beyond editorial work into outright political action.
The mitigation hearing added new details about Chan's predicament. Her lawyer said she tried blocking controversial articles from publication, had even considered resigning early to escape Apple Daily. But serious illness and mounting treatment costs trapped her. She faced financial hardship and needed the paycheck to survive. So she stayed.
Chan Pui-man expressed deep regret for abandoning journalistic principles. She'd wanted to quit Apple Daily, but mounting medical bills for serious illness left her no choice but to stay.
In her mitigation letter, she expressed profound regret for failing to stand firm on journalistic principles.
The pleas from Cheung and Chan expose the human cost of working under Lai's boulder-like pressure. Unable to uphold their principles, they were dragged onto an illegal path and ended up behind bars. Little wonder both pleaded guilty and turned prosecution witnesses against their former boss. After years of submission, testifying became their final act of resistance.
Lai Ting-yiu
What Say You?
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The mitigation hearings kicked off on Monday for defendants in the Jimmy Lai case, including five accomplice witnesses who flipped to testify against the media tycoon. First up: Chen Zihao and Lee Yu-hin, both members of the so-called "Stand With Hong Kong Fight for Freedom" crew. These two carried out Lai's orders to lobby foreign governments for sanctions against Hong Kong—and their testimony became the smoking gun that sealed Lai's fate. Their lawyers are now banking on that cooperation to slash their sentences.
But here's what grabbed my attention: Chen didn't just testify against Jimmy Lai. He exposed the dirty dealings of Lai's right-hand man Mark Simon and team leader Finn Lau (aka "Lord of Scorched Earth"). And now his family is paying the price. They've been harassed, followed, intimidated—the whole playbook. Chen himself is terrified about what happens when he walks out of prison, and he's got no clue if he'll get any protection. This tells you everything you need to know: the ghosts of the black bloc riots are still out there, lurking in the shadows. These accomplice witnesses could easily become targets for vigilante "justice." Police need to wake up and consider real protection for these people.
Family Under Siege
Chen's lawyer laid it out in court: ever since Chen was arrested and charged in early 2021, his family has been stalked and verbally harassed nonstop. His parents got doxxed—phone numbers plastered online for anyone to see. Now they're getting calls from unknown sources and only dare answer WhatsApp calls.
Last August 16, Chen's family called the cops after spotting two suspicious men loitering outside their home. Police responded by stepping up patrols in the area. According to the defense, "people holding different political positions" have made hostile remarks about Chen for turning state's evidence.
No shock there. Chen has become public enemy number one for remnant black bloc elements and Jimmy Lai's fan club. Shortly after being charged, he agreed to become an accomplice witness and spilled the beans on the secret activities of Lai and Mark Simon. Most damning of all: he voluntarily revealed his clandestine Taipei meeting with Lai, where they plotted to secure foreign sanctions against China and Hong Kong to trigger a "China collapse scenario." That testimony became the cornerstone of Lai's conviction—naturally earning Chen some serious enemies.
Classic Black Bloc Playbook
The harassment tactics described by the defense came straight out of the 2019 riots' greatest hits. Anyone who dared oppose the rioters or call out their violence got brazenly doxxed, then bombarded with online abuse, threatening phone calls, and sometimes outright violent attacks—the infamous "private justice." Police officers and civil servants got the same vicious treatment. These people are still hiding in the shadows, and the intimidation Chen's family faces almost certainly comes from the same crew.
Chen's lawyer expressed serious concern about his client's safety after release. Chen fears he won't get adequate protection once he's back on the streets. If he relocates to the UK, the risk skyrockets. Some of the "Stand With Hong Kong Fight for Freedom" members he testified against are now living in exile there, making protection even more challenging.
Chen Zihao's family has been stalked and harassed since 2021 for his testimony against Jimmy Lai. He fears retaliation upon release—and moving to the UK could make things worse.
A political contact clued me in: if Chen Zihao and Lee Yu-hin face threats after release, they can request police protection. Under the Witness Protection Ordinance enacted in 2000, even after cases wrap up—regardless of conviction outcomes—the police Witness Protection Unit can continue safeguarding certain witnesses until the threat to their lives is eliminated.
Lee Yu-hin faces same threats. Black bloc remnants still lurk in the shadows, ready to strike.
If Chen and others receive such protection, they and their families could be housed in police "safe houses" to ensure their safety.
Other accomplice witnesses in similar cases share same fears. Take Andrew Chiu Ka-yin, one of the defendants in the "35+ subversion case." He was released early last November after pleading guilty and agreeing to testify. In a recent interview with pro-democracy media, he admitted that because he testified against Benny Tai and other ringleaders, he's been constantly looking over his shoulder since his release, terrified of retaliation. Despite the danger, he says he's staying in Hong Kong—no emigration plans.
The "Dying Jimmy Lai" Myth Gets KO'd
During today's mitigation hearing, I caught something else worth noting: the prosecution methodically demolished the "Save Jimmy Lai campaign's" fabricated claims about Lai being on death's door. Remember the rumors about his "dramatic weight loss"? The prosecution set the record straight: when Lai first entered prison in 2020, he weighed 80 kilograms. As of January this year? 79.2 kilograms—less than one kilogram lighter. After several years behind bars, he's still "Fat Lai."
Lai's children previously spread wild tales claiming their father's fingernails had turned green and fallen off, his teeth had rotted and dropped out—supposedly symptoms of a serious illness suggesting his days were numbered. The prosecution today directly refuted this nonsense, noting that while he mentioned toothaches and toenail infections last year, these were treated and resolved without complications. His heart condition has been consistently normal, and his hearing hasn't deteriorated.
In fact, even without the prosecution's detailed clarification, just looking at Jimmy Lai's appearance in court today provides living proof that completely destroys those cheap lies.
Lai Ting-yiu
