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#Court #NationalSecurityLaw
HK media tycoon Jimmy Lai faces appeal against bail after Beijing mouthpiece slams court’s decision and demands extradition to China

The Apple Daily founder and pro-democracy media mogul #JimmyLai, aged 73, is facing trial in Hong Kong for alleged fraud and violation of the national security law by colluding with foreign forces.

On December 23, 2020, Lai was granted bail of HK$10 million on the condition that he remains confined to his home, apart from when he reports to police three times a week, or needs to appear in court. Lai is barred from expressing his views in interviews, on social media and with foreign officials.

People’s Daily, a newspaper run by the Chinese Communist Party government, slammed the Judge’s decision. “Lai is notorious and extremely dangerous, yet he became the first suspect to be granted bail after being arrested for violating the national security law, which is inconceivable,” the article read.

The Chinese state media questioned whether Hong Kong courts had “juristiction difficulty” and warned that there are legal grounds for the case to be transferred to the mainland.

The mouthpiece of Beijing even claimed there are "legal grounds for China to invoke Article 55 of the National Security Law". Article 55 states China can "exercise jurisdiction over a case concerning offence endangering national security" if the case is complex due to the involvement of a foreign country or external elements, or if a serious situation occurs where the Hong Kong government can't effectively enforce the law.

The Department of Justice in Hong Kong immediately raised appeal against bail which will be heard at Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal on December 31, 2020.

On Dec 29, Lai stepped down as chairman of Next Digital and is replaced by Ip Yut-kin, a non-executive director of Next Digital.

Source: Apple Daily; Hong Kong Free Press; Bloomberg; HK CNews; Stand News #Dec27 #Dec29

https://hk.appledaily.com/local/20201227/HHLFE3D4NJCYXEIKDQGORDBQYM/

https://bit.ly/3aQHt5q

#CCP #PressFreedom #AppleDaily #NextDigital #FreeJimmyLai
#Regime #Court #PoliticalSuppression
HK Authorities Freeze
#JimmyLai's assets under #NationalSecurityLaw

On the evening of May 14, 2021, the Hong Kong government has frozen Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai's personal assets under the national security law. This is the first time the authorities exercise this power, since the national security law was directly imposed by Beijing on Hong Kong without passing through the city's legislature in June 2020.

Lai is currently serving a 14-month sentence after being convicted of taking part in "unauthorised assemblies" during the pro-democracy movement in August 2019.

In a press release, the Security Bureau said Lai's shares of Next Digital Limited (282) and assets of three companies in local banks were all frozen. The value of the property frozen was not disclosed.

Apple Daily said Lai holds a 71 percent stake in #NextDigital, but the incident does not involve the account of Next Digital and the finances of #AppleDaily.

Whereas Article 6 of Hong Kong Basic Law indicates that the Hong Kong SAR government "protect the right of private ownership of property in accordance with law", the Security Bureau cited Article 43 of the national security law, claiming that “relevant persons and organisations must not, directly or indirectly, deal with certain property which is reasonably suspected to be related to offences endangering national security”.

Moreover, the Secretary for Security has the power to order police officers to seize property if he suspects it may be removed from Hong Kong.

Source: InMedia #May14
https://bit.ly/3uOXvnh

#PoliticalPrisoner #FrozenAsset #Confiscation #Economy #FailedState
#PoliticalProsecution #PoliceState
HK Police Raids #AppleDaily Again: 3 Editors and 2 Executives Arrested for Breaching National Security Law

Apple Daily, the only pro-democracy newspaper in print in Hong Kong, has been the target of the national security police since the forced implementation of the national security law in the city in June 2020.

Even though founder #JimmyLai had already been arrested and remains in custody, the Hong Kong police continues to raid the headquarters of the newspaper and its parent company; seizing documents, computers and journalistic materials; and making arrests.

In the raid on June 17, 2021, the police deployed 500 officers and arrested five executives including editor-in-chief #RyanLaw.

The other four are deputy editor #ChanPuiMan, chief executive editor #CheungChiWai, chief executive #NextDigital #CheungKimHung, and the chief operating officer #ChowTatKuen.

Authorities claimed that the newspaper published articles allegedly calling for "foreign sanctions" and had been "colluding with foreign forces", thus has violated the national security law.  

Some of the articles cited date back to 2019, before the law's implementation.  The government had previously promised that the new law would not be applied to offences before the law had come into effect.

Meanwhile, Secretary for Security #JohnLee ordered freezing HK$18 million worth of assets from Apple Daily Limited, Apple Daily Printing Limited and AD Internet Limited, all under Jimmy Lai's Next Digital Limited.  Li openly asked the public and the media to cut ties with the executives of Apple Daily.    

When asked, Li admitted the government's intention to prevent the pro-democracy newspaper from being printed before July 1, 2021, the anniversary of the Hong Kong SAR's establishment, when large-scale protest takes place every year.

Photo: #FirstHand
Text: RTHK; Stand News; Apple Daily #Jun17

https://bit.ly/2Uh0iZn
https://bit.ly/35sgKIe
https://bit.ly/3zxfpOa

#Censorship #WhiteTerror #Intimidation #Smearing #Regime
#Solidarity
"We Will Press On": #AppleDaily Prints 500,000 Copies Despite Police Raid

The headline of Apple Daily on June 18, 2021 reads "Let us hang on", a message sent by
#CheungKimHung, the CEO of #NextDigital that owns the pro-democracy newspaper.

Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30130

Despite the police raid and the arrest of 5 one day before, the newspaper vowed to its readers that their journalists and editors would carry out their duty continuously and unafraid.The newspaper even increased the prints to 500,000 copies.

"the staff of Apple Daily is standing firm. We will continue to persist as Hongkongers and live up to the expectations so that we have no regrets to our readers and the times we are in."

Source: Stand News; InMedia #Jun17

Read Apple Daily's Letter to the Readers:

https://hk.appledaily.com/news/20210617/XENTLS4QLZF55NV2GAPD7USUXI/
#PoliticalProsecution #PoliticalPrisoner #WhiteTerror
HK Police Charges
#AppleDaily Editor-in-chief and #NextDigital CEO with #NationalSecurityLaw

Read more
⬇️⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30149
#PoliticalProsecution #PoliticalPrisoner #WhiteTerror
HK Police Charges #AppleDaily Editor-in-chief and #NextDigital CEO with #NationalSecurityLaw

At 10pm on June 18, 2021, deputy editor of Apple Daily, #ChanPuiMan, left the Tseung Kwan O police station on bail after being detained for over 40 hours.

Photos:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30148

She told the media that she was proud of her colleagues at Apple Daily who carried on their duty and responsibility, undeterred.

"I am proud of their professionalism," Chan said outside of the police station.

On June 17, 2021, 3 editors and 2 executives of Apple Daily were arrested by the Hong Kong police for #NationalSecurityLaw violation.

Read more:
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30130

While chief executive editor #CheungChiWai and the chief operating officer #ChowTatKuen were also released on bail; the police pressed charges on the newspaper's editor-in-chief #RyanLaw and the chief executive of #NextDigital #CheungKimHung.The two will be mentioned in court the next day on June 19, 2021.

Before leaving, deputy editor Chan Pui-man said she will support her colleagues in court. Chan then left with her husband #ChungPuiKuen, the editor-in-chief of #StandNews.

Source: Stand News; Apple Daily #Jun18

https://bit.ly/3vDEN1R

#Censorship #PressFreedom #Professionalism #PoliceState

====
Related stories:

We Will Press On": Apple Daily Prints 500,000 Copies Despite Police Raid

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30142

Hongkongers Rush to Support Apple Daily After Midnight

https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30140
#Newspaper
#AppleDaily Arrests Make Headlines Across the World: "Blatant Attack on Journalism", "Silencing All Dissent"

Source: BBC; AFP; Associated Press; #Jun17

Image: Stand News

Read more
⬇️⬇️
https://t.me/guardiansofhongkong/30152