{"id":454,"date":"2020-12-11T10:50:39","date_gmt":"2020-12-11T10:50:39","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/?p=454"},"modified":"2020-12-11T10:51:25","modified_gmt":"2020-12-11T10:51:25","slug":"hong-kong-pro-democracy-tycoon-jimmy-lai-charged-under-security-law","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thebuzz.apnanetwork.co.nz\/?p=454","title":{"rendered":"Hong Kong pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai charged under security law"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai has been charged under the territory’s controversial new national security law.<\/b><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Lai, 73, is accused of conspiring with foreign forces to endanger national security, and could face a lengthy jail term.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He is the most high-profile person charged under the new law.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Lai founded the Apple Daily newspaper and is a fierce critic of the Beijing authorities.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Beijing has said the new security law will return stability to the territory after a year of unrest, but critics say it has silenced dissent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Mr Lai was originally arrested under the law in August<\/a>\u00a0after a police raid on Apple Daily’s head office, but was released on bail.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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However, he has been in custody since 2 December,\u00a0after being denied bail on a separate charge of fraud<\/a>\u00a0related to the lease of a building that houses the newspaper.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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He will appear in court on Saturday.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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