HONG KONG (Reuters) – A British prosecutor hired by the Hong Kong government to lead a case against democracy activists withdrew after being pressured into Britain, including “shameful” comments from his foreign minister, city officials said on Wednesday.
David Perry, an adviser to the queen, was to lead the case against tabloid media mogul Jimmy Lai and several others, including veteran democratic activists Martin Lee and Margaret Ng.
But the Hong Kong Department of Justice noted “growing pressure and criticism” of Perry in Britain for accepting the case, adding in a statement that he has “concerns about such pressures and quarantine exemption” and “indicated that the trial must go on without him “
British Foreign Minister Dominic Raab told Sky TV in an interview on Sunday that Perry gave the Chinese government a “public relations coup” and behaved in “a very mercenary manner”.
Confirming the details, Hong Kong’s Justice Secretary Teresa Cheng objected to such comments being directed to a “formidable” lawyer.
“The fact that such a high-ranking officer uttered words like ‘mercenary’ is, with respect, shameful for such a respectable lawyer,” said Cheng.
Perry could not be reached for comment. A Hong Kong lawyer has been hired instead, Cheng said.
Under Hong Kong’s independent legal system, based on Common Law, foreign lawyers are sometimes used by both the defense and the prosecution in cases.
Lai, 73, owns the Apple Daily – which has a reputation for fiercely criticizing the city government.
The case Perry was supposed to lead is related to protests in August 2019, according to broadcaster RTHK, but Lai was also charged with crimes under the city’s new national security law, which spawned foreign sentencing.
He is the highest-profile figure charged under the law that Beijing imposed on the city on June 30 last year, after months of pro-democracy protests in the global financial center.
The law establishes severe punishments for terrorism, subversion and collusion with foreign forces, while allowing some suspects to be brought to mainland China for trial in complex cases.
Critics say the law threatens the vaunted judicial independence in the former British colony.
(Reporting by Greg Torode and Sharon Tam; Editing by Robert Birsel)