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Hong Kong media tycoon and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was denied bail on Saturday after being charged the day past beneath a brand new nationwide safety legislation.
Lai was charged with collusion with overseas parts to hazard nationwide safety, for tweets he wrote and interviews he made with overseas media.
Lai based the pro-democracy Apple Daily tabloid, and has made visits to the US, together with a gathering with US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo.
The Apple Daily stated he’s accused of asking a overseas nation, group or particular person to impose sanctions or have interaction in different hostile actions in opposition to Hong Kong or China. He has been in custody since final week.
If convicted, the 73-year-old faces a potential most sentence of life in jail. The newspaper stated his charge sheet listed a number of overseas politicians who adopted Lai on Twitter and cited commentaries he wrote and interviews he gave to theb overseas press.
Lai was seen handcuffed to a series round his waist as guards led him to a van to go from jail to court docket.
‘A mockery of justice’
Pompeo tweeted Saturday morning that the safety legislation “makes a mockery of justice.” He known as for Lai’s launch, saying his solely crime is talking the reality about China’s authoritarian Communist Party authorities.
Lai additionally spent two days in police custody earlier within the yr when his firm, Next Digital Media, was raided by tons of of cops beneath the safety legislation.
Trials are heard by judges chosen by the town’s Beijing-backed chief, Chief Executive Carrie Lam.
The legislation, which targets secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with overseas forces, was imposed by Beijing in June, bypassing the town’s elected representatives. Critics say the legislation is a technique to quash dissent.
This week alone, 16 pro-democracy supporters had been arrested beneath the laws.
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