HONG KONG, Dec. 15 (Xinhua) -- A spokesperson for the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) on Monday strongly denounced and firmly opposed smearing remarks about the verdict on Jimmy Lai's case.

The spokesperson condemned blatant interference in and slanders against Hong Kong's judiciary from Britain, Australia, the United States, Germany and the European Union, as well as certain politicians.

Lai's case has nothing to do with press freedom, said the spokesperson. To attempt to whitewash Lai or interfere with judicial proceedings through exerting political pressure is to trample on the spirit of the rule of law.

Certain countries and politicians have long been vilifying the rule of law in Hong Kong under the pretexts of "human rights" and "freedom" in an attempt to destabilize Hong Kong, which is typical double standards, said the spokesperson.

The case is an internal matter of the HKSAR, said the spokesperson, urging relevant countries and politicians to stop interfering in Hong Kong affairs, which are China's internal affairs. Enditem