Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Hong Kong activist returned to custody
HONG KONG — Hong Kong’s highest court on Thursday revoked media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s bail after prosecutors succeeded in asking the judges to send him back to detention.
Lai had been granted bail Dec. 23 after three weeks in custody on charges of fraud and endangering national security. His appeal hearing is set for Feb. 1.
The court said Thursday that it was “reasonably arguable” that the previous judge’s decision was erroneous and that the order of granting bail was invalid.
Lai is among a string of pro- democracy activists and supporters arrested by Hong Kong police in recent months as authorities step up their crackdown on dissent in the semiautonomous Chinese territory.
He was charged with fraud Dec. 3 after he was accused of violating the lease terms for office space for the Next Digital, the media company he founded. He was charged again Dec. 12 under the sweeping national-security law imposed by Beijing on counts related to colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security.
Lai entered the Court of Final Appeal without making any comments to supporters and the media, many of whom swarmed the tycoon. His bail conditions included surrendering his travel documents and a ban on meeting with foreign officials, publishing articles, posting on social media and giving interviews.
Chinese state- owned newspaper People’s Daily posted a commentary Sunday criticizing the court for granting bail to Lai.
The People’s Daily said that it would not be difficult for Lai to abscond, and called him “notorious and extremely dangerous.” It also warned that China could take over the case, according to Article 55 of the national security law which states that China can “exercise jurisdiction over a case concerning offence endangering national security.”
Hong Kong’s judiciary on Tuesday uploaded a 19-page judgment on its website, laying out the reasons why High Court Justice Alex Lee had granted Lai bail. Lee said that he was satisfied that there was no flight risk in Lai’s case, and noted that Lai was willing to have his movements monitored if it had been a feasible option.
On Tuesday, Lai resigned as chairman and executive director of Next Digital, which runs the Apple Daily newspaper, according to a filing made to the Hong Kong stock exchange. He did so “to spend more time dealing with this personal affairs” and confirmed that he had no disagreement with the board, the filing said.