Former activist Andy Li briefed a US politician on the situation in Hong Kong during their meeting here in 2019, the national security trial of Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai was told on Wednesday.

The court also heard Lai's former personal assistant, Mark Simon, helped set up the meeting between Li and US senator Rick Scott.

Li, testifying as a prosecution witness, said he was informed by Simon of the meeting with Scott in September 2019 in a messaging group titled “Coffee on Sunday”.

Li said he met Simon in person for the first time at a venue in Mid-Levels where he was then introduced to Scott.

A female protester known as “Cath” was also at the meeting.

“We told Scott about the situation in Hong Kong at the time, and we mentioned, in generic terms, that we wanted the US government to act,” he said.

Li also said a group, “Fight For Freedom, Stand With Hong Kong” (SWHK), was a “loose organisation of Hongkongers”, and it was not set up to call for international sanctions.

“Not all members or all activities were in support of imposing sanctions, and I disagreed that SWHK was set up in the name of sanctions,” Li said.

“But there’s a consensus to fight for freedom and democracy in Hong Kong, and sanctions were just one of the means.”

Prosecutors have accused Lai of financing the group to canvass for foreign support.

The Apple Daily founder earlier denied three conspiracy charges relating to collusion with foreign forces and sedition.

Li, serving as the fourth prosecution witness, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. He was among 12 people who attempted to flee to Taiwan by speedboat in August 2020 before being intercepted by Guangdong authorities.

The trial continues on Thursday.