Burdened by Opposition in Hong Kong... 30 Million Won Bail
Pro-Democracy Figure Agnes Chow Also Released on the Same Day
[Asia Economy Beijing=Special Correspondent Cho Young-shin] Jimmy Lai, the founder of Apple Daily, a leading anti-China media outlet in Hong Kong, was released on bail just one day after being arrested on charges of violating the Hong Kong National Security Law. Agnes Chow, former executive committee member of the Demosist? Party and a student leader during the 2014 Hong Kong protests demanding direct election of the Chief Executive, known as the "Umbrella Movement," was also released on the same day.
Apple Daily reported in the early hours of the 12th that Jimmy Lai left the police station accompanied by his lawyer. Upon his release on bail, about 100 supporters gathered in front of the police station shouted slogans pledging "support until the end," the newspaper added. After being released, he immediately got into a black Mercedes-Benz sedan and gave two thumbs up to the supporters. His passport was confiscated by the Hong Kong police, and he paid HKD 200,000 (approximately KRW 30 million) as bail.
Jimmy Lai’s release on bail just one day after his arrest has led to various interpretations suggesting that China felt pressured by the West, including the United States. U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called Jimmy Lai a "patriot" upon his arrest and expressed deep concern, saying, "I am deeply troubled by the news of his arrest under Hong Kong’s harsh National Security Law," and strongly criticized it as "further evidence that the Chinese Communist Party is stripping Hong Kong of its freedoms and violating citizens' rights."
Additionally, there is an interpretation that the sharp rise in Apple Daily’s stock price and the complete sell-out of that day’s newspaper immediately after his arrest indicate that authorities were also mindful of the opposition sentiment within Hong Kong.
However, suspicions remain that this arrest of an anti-China journalist signals the start of a more aggressive crackdown on media outlets critical of mainland China.
Earlier, the Hong Kong police’s National Security Department, responsible for enforcing the Hong Kong National Security Law, arrested Lai at his home in the Ho Man Tin area on the morning of the 10th on charges of violating the law. The National Security Law stipulates that those who collude with foreign forces or lead acts of subversion or secession may face life imprisonment. Lai was reportedly arrested on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces.
Another pro-democracy figure, Agnes Chow, former executive committee member of the Demosist? Party, was also granted bail within 24 hours of her arrest on the same day. As a result, seven out of ten people arrested on the 10th on charges including violations of the Hong Kong National Security Law were released on bail between the 11th and 12th.
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