Hong Kong’s Court of Final Appeal denied bail on Tuesday for prominent democracy advocate and newspaper founder Jimmy Lai, upholding the government prosecution’s appeal.
The decision by the court comes amid heavy pressure from the Chinese government and state media to keep Lai in custody, arguing that Lai’s crimes against the state are particularly egregious and that he possesses the means to flee the semi-autonomous southern Chinese city.
Jimmy Lai was arrested in a December sweep against pro-democracy activists accused over their involvement in 2019 anti-government protests.
