Jimmy Lai: Hong Kong court denies media tycoon bail again
The pro-democracy advocate Lai is one of the most high-profile figures to be charged under a Beijing-imposed national security law.
Founder of pro-democracy Apple Daily tabloid, Jimmy Lai. (AP Photo/Kin Cheung) The Hong Kong High Court on Thursday again denied bail to prominent democracy advocate and newspaper publisher Jimmy Lai.
Lai has been charged under a controversial national security law for “colluding with foreign forces.”
He was detained and charged in December, and was initially granted bail on condition of house arrest, but was quickly thrown back into jail after prosecutors successfully overturned the ruling.
The high court Thursday upheld a ruling handed down last week from the Court of Final Appeal (CFA), which said the initial bail granted by a lower court had applied an “erroneous line of reasoning.”
Under the new Beijing-imposed law, the onus is on the defendant to prove they would not pose a threat to national security if released on bail. This differs from Hong Kong’s common law-based system, which requires the prosecution to prove flight risk.
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