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Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai had his bail revoked after prosecutors managed to ask the city’s highest court to return him to detention.
Lai was granted bail on December 23 after spending three weeks in custody on charges of fraud and endangering national security. His appeal hearing is scheduled for February 1.
The court said Thursday that it was “reasonably debatable” that the previous judge’s decision was wrong and that the bail order was invalid.
Kin Cheung / AP
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai arrives at the Final Court of Appeal in Hong Kong.
Lai was charged with fraud on December 3 for allegedly violating the terms of the office space lease for Next Digital, the media company he founded. He was later charged again on December 12 under the comprehensive national security law imposed by Beijing on suspicion of collusion with foreign forces and endangering national security.
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Lai is among a series of pro-democracy activists and supporters arrested by Hong Kong police in recent months as authorities step up their crackdown on dissent in semi-autonomous Chinese territory.
His court appearance came after the Chinese state newspaper People’s diary posted a forceful comment on Sunday criticizing a Hong Kong court for granting Lai bail, saying it “seriously damages Hong Kong’s rule of law.”
People’s diary He said it would not be difficult for Lai to escape and called it “notorious and extremely dangerous”.
Kin Cheung / AP
Lai was originally granted bail on December 23.
He also warned that China could take over the case, in accordance with article 55 of the national security law, which states that China can “exercise jurisdiction over a case related to a crime that endangers national security.”
The Hong Kong judiciary posted a 19-page sentence on its website Tuesday, setting out the reasons why High Court Judge Judge Alex Lee had granted Lai bail. Lee said he was satisfied that there was no flight risk in Lai’s case, noting that Lai was willing to have his movements monitored if it had been a feasible option.
On Tuesday, Lai resigned as president and CEO of Next Digital, which runs the Apple Daily newspaper, according to a file submitted to the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.
He did so “to spend more time dealing with these personal matters” and confirmed that he had no disagreement with the board of directors, according to the document.
