Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai has arguable case and bail conditions were met, High Court judge says
- The 73-year-old Apple Daily founder, who is facing a national security law charge, was granted HK$10 million bail last week
- Prosecutors plan to file an urgent appeal against that decision on New Year’s Eve
Lai is the first person granted bail after being charged with violating the security law, and state media has sharply criticised the decision, warning that mainland Chinese authorities could take over the case.
But in laying out his reasons, Justice Alex Lee Wan-tang said Lai’s defence had merits and the high threshold for granting bail under the new law could be met by imposing stringent conditions on the defendant. These included placing him under house arrest and banning him from meeting foreign officials, taking media interviews or posting on social media.
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Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai freed on bail
Lee also said he was satisfied Lai would not flee, noting the 73-year-old had been prepared for police to monitor his movements at all times following his release, although the court deemed the measure unnecessary.
The High Court released Lai on bail on December 23 after he served 20 days in custody, ordering him to be placed under house arrest at his Kadoorie Avenue mansion in Ho Man Tin. The prosecution will appeal the decision on New Year’s Eve.
Lee’s decision drew a strong backlash from Communist Party mouthpiece People’s Daily, which said the step had “severely hurt Hong Kong’s rule of law”.
The central government had “sufficient legal grounds” to assume jurisdiction of Lai’s case, as allowed under the national security law, and order him sent to the mainland to stand trial, it said in a commentary published online on Sunday.
Judges usually deliver explanations of bail decisions verbally in court, but the judiciary took the rare step of uploading Lee’s 19-page written judgment onto its website.