Media tycoon Jimmy Lai not allowed to leave Hong Kong as part of his bail condition related to intimidation case at 2017 vigil
- Lai has pleaded not guilty to a charge of threatening to injure a man during the June 4 vigil in Victoria Park
- Along with two former lawmakers, he also faces allegations of taking part in an illegal assembly during last year’s anti-government protests
But they were not required to indicate their plea on this charge on Tuesday as prosecutor Priscilia Lam revealed plans to handle this case together with that of 12 other veterans of the opposition camp who are set to make their first court appearance next week.
Speaking outside West Kowloon Court, Lai urged Hongkongers to fight on while Lee expressed regret over prosecutors’ bid to impose additional bail conditions, which he learned just minutes before the afternoon hearing.
“This is very obviously a sudden political instruction from the Department of Justice,” Lee said. “We are enraged.”
The three defendants face a joint count of knowingly taking part in an unauthorised assembly, which allegedly took place on August 31 last year, in violation of the Public Order Ordinance.
Lai separately faces one count of criminal intimidation, alleging that he had threatened to injure a man identified only as X – with the intent to alarm him – during the June 4 vigil in Victoria Park, Causeway Bay, in 2017.