HK media mogul Jimmy Lai to remain in custody
By IANS |
Published on
Tue, Feb 9 2021 10:51 IST |
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Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai gets bail. Image Source: IANS News
Hong Kong, Feb 9 : Hong Kongs top court on Tuesday ordered media tycoon Jimmy Lai to remain in custody before his trial on charges of fraud and colluding with foreign forces.
As the Court of Final Appeal lacks jurisdiction to handle Lai s application, Chief Justice Andrew Cheung said that the tycoon, who has spent a total of 59 days in jail till date, may apply for bail once again at the High Court, the South China Morning Post newspaper reported.
Hong Kong Court Backs Bid to Keep Tycoon Jimmy Lai in Jail
Bloomberg 2/9/2021 Kari Lindberg and Iain Marlow
(Bloomberg) Hong Kong’s top court ordered media tycoon Jimmy Lai to stay in jail ahead of his trial on foreign collusion charges, in a victory for Beijing that shows the city’s judges are unlikely to challenge a China-drafted security law.
The Court of Final Appeal unanimously decided Tuesday to keep Lai in custody, while laying out strict standards for defendants to seek bail under the security legislation enacted last year. The top court had already sent the Next Digital Ltd. founder and frequent Beijing critic back to jail on Dec. 31 to give judges time to consider the case after the government challenged a lower court’s decision to release him into house arrest.
Hong Kong tycoon and pro-democracy activist Jimmy Lai has been returned to custody on Monday while the territory’s highest court considers whether those facing national security charges should be eligible for bail in a landmark challenge to Hong Kong’s sweeping new national security legislation.
Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing’s Communist Party, was charged on December 11 with violating the new security legislation by allegedly colluding with foreign powers and endangering national security.
After an entire day of deliberations, the five judges at the Court of Final Appeal failed to reach a verdict and said they would issue a judgement at a later date.
Zen Soo
New Hong Kong s Chief Justice Andrew Cheung listens to reporters questions during a press conference in Hong Kong Monday, Jan. 11, 2021. Hong Kong s new top judge on Monday warned the territory s courts need to show they are impartial amid a flurry of politically charged cases or risk losing public trust. (AP Photo/Vincent Yu) January 11, 2021 - 5:17 AM
Hong Kongâs new top judge warned Monday that the semi-autonomous Chinese territoryâs courts need to show they are impartial amid a flurry of politically charged cases or risk losing public trust.
Hong Kong has been in a state of political crisis after months of anti-government protests in 2019 led to Beijing imposing a tough national security law on the city to quash dissent. Pro-democracy supporters say the security legislation suppresses the freedoms Hong Kong was promised when it was handed over from British control in 1997.