HONG KONG: Hong Kong’s top court on Monday upheld a ruling to let a veteran British lawyer defend a 74-year-old pro-democracy publisher at his national security trial this week despite fierce opposition from the pro-Beijing camp in the southern Chinese city. Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily and one of the most prominent figures in the city’s pro-democracy movement, was arrested after Beijing imposed a tough national security law to crack down on dissent following widespread protests in 2019. He faces collusion charges and a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. His trial is expected to begin on Thursday. In a closely watched judgment on Monday, the top court ruled that the secretary had raised “undefined and unsubstantiated issues said to involve national security” that were not mentioned or explored in the lower courts.