The Office of the Commissioner of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Hong Kong on Monday condemned a number of overseas countries and politicians for “smearing” Hong Kong’s judiciary over the national security conviction of former media mogul Jimmy Lai. “In response to the criticism and blatant interference and smearing of Hong Kong's judiciary by countries such as the United Kingdom, Australia, the United States, Germany, as well as the European Union and a few politicians regarding this conviction, the spokesperson for the Commissioner's Office expressed strong dissatisfaction, firm opposition, and serious condemnation,” the office said in a statement on Monday night. The spokesperson said Lai was a key planner and participant in a conspiracy to destabilise Hong Kong, and was an “agent” and “pawn” of external anti-China forces, “whose words and actions seriously endangered national security.” The Apple Daily founder was earlier on Monday convicted of two charges of conspiring to collude with external forces to endanger national security, and a charge of conspiracy to publish seditious materials. The Commissioner’s office said the SAR’s judicial authorities have performed their lawful duties to uphold national security. “This is reasonable, rational, and lawful, and allows no interference.” The spokesperson also stressed that Lai’s case has nothing to do with press freedom, and is purely an internal affair of the SAR that brooks no interference. “Any attempt to whitewash Lai or to interfere with the judiciary through political pressure is a blatant trampling of the spirit of the rule of law,” the statement said. The office also released a separate letter addressed to Hong Kong-based foreign media laying out facts regarding Lai’s case, stressing that he was not prosecuted for reporting news, but had “abused public opinion tools to incite hatred, intensify confrontation, and encourage support for riotous activities, serving as the mastermind behind the 2019 ’black violence’ in Hong Kong.” The spokesperson said the trial was open and transparent, and was held under fair and just procedures, free from interference, in full view of a large number of members of the public, media representatives, and foreign consular officials in Hong Kong. The letter dismissed suggestions that Lai was subjected to any inhuman treatment in custody, saying his lawful rights and interests were fully protected, and he had received timely and comprehensive medical treatment. The spokesperson further pointed out that Lai's own lawyer confirmed in court that the defendant had not been subjected to unjust treatment, and that Lai's had walked normally in court on Monday without needing assistance, in overall good condition. In Washington, US President Donald Trump said he felt "badly" about Lai's conviction and added that he had asked President Xi Jinping to consider his release. "He's an older man, and he's not well. So I did put that request out. We'll see what happens," Trump said. Separately, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio urged Beijing to "bring this ordeal to an end as soon as possible and to release Mr Lai on humanitarian grounds". Lai is a British citizen, and the UK government condemned his "politically motivated prosecution" in a statement calling for his release. (Additional reporting by AFP)