Court refuses to drop Jimmy Lai sedition charge

Heightened security: Policemen standing guard outside the West Kowloon court ahead of Lai’s trial in Hong Kong. — AFP

A court rejected jailed pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai’s bid to throw out a charge of seditious publication in a trial that has attracted international attention.

The trial began Monday for Lai, who is charged with “collusion” with foreign forces under a Beijing-imposed national security law, a charge that carries a potential life sentence.