Jimmy Lai, middle, is leaving the Supreme Court after being granted bail in Hong Kong on December 23.
Photographer: Roy Liu / Bloomberg
Photographer: Roy Liu / Bloomberg
The Hong Kong Supreme Court’s decision to grant bail to media mogul Jimmy Lai is “incredible”, he said. comments in the mouthpiece of China’s Communist Party, which warned that there are legal grounds for transferring the matter to the mainland.
The People’s Daily has the 73-year-old founder of Next Digital Ltd. called ‘infamous and extremely dangerous’. Prosecutors charged Lai this month under a comprehensive national security law passed by Beijing in June, saying he had teamed up with foreigners by calling for sanctions against China.
A judge earlier denied bail while giving the prosecution more time to investigate media interviews and about 1,000 tweets for more evidence. The Hong Kong High Court later on December 23 granted Lai bail of HK $ 10 million ($ 1.3 million) on condition that he stay in his home and avoid giving interviews or posting on social media. He also had to hand over his travel documents.
It’s not hard for Lai to forfeit and leave bail, The People’s Daily said, referring to his wealth and “motives” of foreign powers.
Hong Kong courts finalize Beijing’s growing power
Lai’s arrest and a dramatic police attack on the newsroom of his pro-democracy Apple Daily in August sparked outcries from foreign governments, including the United Kingdom, saying the new security law was being used to to curb press freedom in the former British colony. .
There are complete legal grounds for China to invoke Article 55 of the National Security Act, the newspaper said. Under Article 55, China may ‘exercise jurisdiction over an offense involving an endangerment of national security’ if the matter is complicated by the involvement of a foreign country or external elements, or if a serious situation arises where the government in Hong Kong cannot enforce effectively. the law.
If Lai’s case cannot be handled in accordance with the law, it will cause a huge shock to the rule of law in Hong Kong and put national security in an extremely dangerous situation, according to the comments.
The threat in the main article will contribute to the growing concern about China’s grip on Hong Kong. As the first security hearings are set to begin, Hong Kong’s independent judiciary is emerging as the latest investigation into Beijing’s power. So far, Hong Kong judges have continued to demonstrate their independence, but in a clear break from the past, Beijing now also weighs Hong Kong court decisions, appreciates satisfactory rulings and uses friendly media to criticize others.
– With help by John Liu and Jessica Sui