HKong activist Jimmy Lai departs court after bail denial

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.

A large prison van carrying the 72-year-old left the Court of Final Appeal following the ruling.

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.

He was arrested in a December sweep against pro-democracy activists accused over their involvement in 2019 anti-government protests.

Lai, an outspoken advocate for democracy in Hong Kong, had been charged for fraud on December 3 for allegedly violating the lease terms for office space for his media company, Next Digital.

He was later charged again on December 12 under the national security law, on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security.

The national security law was imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing after the city's local legislature was unable to overcome local opposition to its enactment.

Now that the Court of Final has denied him bail, Lai will have to go back behind bars to wait for his trial to start in April.

(Image Credit: AP)