Hong Kong High Court Denies Bail for Owner of Anti-China Media

Jimmy Lai [Photo by AP Yonhap News]

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Eun-byeol] On the 9th, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal (Supreme Court) ruled against granting bail to Jimmy Lai, the owner of the anti-China media outlet Apple Daily.

According to local media, the Hong Kong Court of Final Appeal sided with the Department of Justice in Lai's case, deciding to keep him in custody until a retrial. Previously, on December 23 last year, the Hong Kong High Court had approved Jimmy Lai's bail application under conditions including a bail amount of 10 million Hong Kong dollars (approximately 1.4 billion KRW). However, this bail decision was abruptly revoked after only eight days.

At that time, the Department of Justice stated, "Judges must consider risks when granting bail to suspects accused of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law," adding, "The bail decision is inconsistent with the legislative intent of the Hong Kong National Security Law."

Foreign media also reported this news simultaneously. AFP reported, "A hallmark of Hong Kong's independent judiciary has been the presumption of bail for non-violent crimes, but the Hong Kong National Security Law has abolished this principle." It further evaluated, "As the Chinese government seeks to eliminate dissidents in Hong Kong, the Hong Kong National Security Law has dismantled the 'legal firewall' between China and Hong Kong." Bloomberg reported, "This case provides certain guidelines for courts in interpreting cases related to the Hong Kong National Security Law, which can impose life sentences, marking a victory for Chinese authorities."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.