<p>The national security trial of pro-democracy Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was pushed to September 2023 by a court on Tuesday, as authorities seek to have his overseas lawyer barred from the defence.</p>.<p>Lai, the 75-year-old founder of the now-shuttered <em>Apple Daily</em> newspaper, is <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/pro-democracy-media-tycoon-jailed-in-hong-kong-1170462.html" target="_blank">facing up to life in prison</a> for "colluding with foreign forces", a crime under the security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong to quash huge democracy protests in 2019.</p>.<p>The trial was meant to start this month but has been delayed by months of legal wrangling over who can represent him.</p>.<p>Hong Kong allows lawyers from common law jurisdictions to work in its courts if they have specialities, one of its key appeals as an international legal and business hub.</p>.<p>Lai wants to be defended by veteran British lawyer Tim Owen but the government has opposed foreign representation for national security trials.</p>.<p>Three levels of Hong Kong judges have backed Lai's choice and ruled repeatedly against the government.</p>.<p>But Hong Kong authorities have now asked Beijing to intervene and decide once and for all whether foreign lawyers can take part in national security cases.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, leading national security prosecutor Anthony Chau told the High Court that Beijing had yet to respond to that request.</p>.<p>The three judges agreed to an adjournment and pushed the trial start to 25 September, 2023.</p>.<p>Lai is already in jail serving a string of convictions related to his involvement in protests.</p>.<p>On Saturday, he received another 69 months of jail after being convicted of fraud in a contract dispute with a government agency.</p>.<p>His lawyer Owen has now left Hong Kong after immigration authorities refused to extend his working visa.</p>.<p>The national security charges against Lai largely revolve around the coverage and content of his <em>Apple Daily</em> newspaper which supported the 2019 democracy protests as well as international sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials.</p>.<p>The law has transformed Hong Kong.</p>.<p>Most of the city's prominent democracy activists have been jailed, fled overseas or fallen silent.</p>.<p>It has also been used against media outlets that were critical of the government.</p>.<p>In a separate court hearing on Tuesday, journalist Chung Pui-kuen was released on bail after 11 months in pre-trial custody.</p>.<p>Chung was the chief editor of the now shuttered <em>Stand News</em> online outlet.</p>.<p>He and colleague Patrick Lam are being prosecuted for conspiring to publish "seditious publications".</p>
<p>The national security trial of pro-democracy Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was pushed to September 2023 by a court on Tuesday, as authorities seek to have his overseas lawyer barred from the defence.</p>.<p>Lai, the 75-year-old founder of the now-shuttered <em>Apple Daily</em> newspaper, is <a href="https://www.deccanherald.com/international/world-news-politics/pro-democracy-media-tycoon-jailed-in-hong-kong-1170462.html" target="_blank">facing up to life in prison</a> for "colluding with foreign forces", a crime under the security law Beijing imposed on Hong Kong to quash huge democracy protests in 2019.</p>.<p>The trial was meant to start this month but has been delayed by months of legal wrangling over who can represent him.</p>.<p>Hong Kong allows lawyers from common law jurisdictions to work in its courts if they have specialities, one of its key appeals as an international legal and business hub.</p>.<p>Lai wants to be defended by veteran British lawyer Tim Owen but the government has opposed foreign representation for national security trials.</p>.<p>Three levels of Hong Kong judges have backed Lai's choice and ruled repeatedly against the government.</p>.<p>But Hong Kong authorities have now asked Beijing to intervene and decide once and for all whether foreign lawyers can take part in national security cases.</p>.<p>On Tuesday, leading national security prosecutor Anthony Chau told the High Court that Beijing had yet to respond to that request.</p>.<p>The three judges agreed to an adjournment and pushed the trial start to 25 September, 2023.</p>.<p>Lai is already in jail serving a string of convictions related to his involvement in protests.</p>.<p>On Saturday, he received another 69 months of jail after being convicted of fraud in a contract dispute with a government agency.</p>.<p>His lawyer Owen has now left Hong Kong after immigration authorities refused to extend his working visa.</p>.<p>The national security charges against Lai largely revolve around the coverage and content of his <em>Apple Daily</em> newspaper which supported the 2019 democracy protests as well as international sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials.</p>.<p>The law has transformed Hong Kong.</p>.<p>Most of the city's prominent democracy activists have been jailed, fled overseas or fallen silent.</p>.<p>It has also been used against media outlets that were critical of the government.</p>.<p>In a separate court hearing on Tuesday, journalist Chung Pui-kuen was released on bail after 11 months in pre-trial custody.</p>.<p>Chung was the chief editor of the now shuttered <em>Stand News</em> online outlet.</p>.<p>He and colleague Patrick Lam are being prosecuted for conspiring to publish "seditious publications".</p>