Hong Kong National Security Police charged founder Chi-Ying Lai and three others with fraud after high-profile raids on the offices of Next Media and Hong Kong’s Apple Daily newspaper in August. The court on December 3 refused to allow Chi-Ying Lai bail pending trial, ordered to remand him in custody until April next year, the other two were released on bail pending trial. The case is being investigated by the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Attorney General’s Office.
The case was heard Thursday by the “designated judge” of the National Security Law of the Hong Kong District, Chief Magistrate Judge So Wai Tak, who, after hearing arguments from both sides, denied Chi-Young Lai’s bail application and remanded the case until April 16 next year, when the other two defendants were granted bail; this is Chi-Young Lai’s first remand after being involved in several lawsuits, and she arrived at Lai Chi Kok Reception Center yesterday. Hands were locked and handcuffed. The Apple Daily reported on Friday that after Chi-Young Lai’s family, friends and lawyers visited him in the detention center on Friday, Lai said through them to Apple colleagues and readers, “No fear, we have to fight on.”
The report said that many family members of other inmates are also waiting to visit the prison, so Lai Yiu-yan waited for about an hour this morning and then went inside to visit his father. It was reported that Chi-Young Lai is currently in solitary confinement, and although he has been on remand for up to four months to await his arraignment, he was in good spirits and did some exercise that morning, and his relatives are contacting the welfare officer to make arrangements for his diet during his detention. The Correctional Services Department (CSD) staff at the facility finally allowed Lai Yiu-yan to give four books, chocolates, towels and tissues to Lai Chi-ying, but the Apple Daily was not allowed to be brought into the facility. The Department of Corrections said that Chi-Young Lai had to apply for the change of underwear, so she was not allowed to bring them into the facility, and some cookies were also returned.
At about 11:00 a.m. local time, Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, also appeared at Lai Chi Kok Reception Center. Chen said he came to visit more than one person, including Chi-Ying Lai (a Catholic), “I have many visitors! The first time he visited the house was around 12:45 p.m. He did not respond positively to the purpose of the visit until about 12:45 p.m., when Chen stepped out of the house and said that Lai had to be held in solitary confinement, but Lai was in good spirits and had enough warm clothes and blankets, and Chen said that there was no need to worry. The report said that during the visit, Chen was reading the Bible with Chi-Young Lai, who is a Catholic, and Chen joked that he has known Lai for many years, so they talked a lot about each other. He did not reveal the time of his meeting with Lai, but said that he did not stay too long because of the seriousness of the epidemic.
It is reported that two of the four books Lai Yiu-yan succeeded in bringing to his father were on the subject of democracy and freedom, including The Gulag Archipelago. This is a work by Russian writer and historian Alexandre Soljenitsyne that gives an overview of forced labor and camp life in the former Soviet Union. Another book is “Why Democracy: The Power of Freedom over Tyranny and Terror”. The author of this book is Natan Sharansky, a prominent Soviet dissident. He fought for democracy in the Soviet Union, was persecuted and arrested, and was released in the 1980s. The book emphasizes that democracy should be supported by any means necessary for the security of the free world, and that only through democracy can human rights be guaranteed, tyranny confronted and fear overcome, and world peace and security guaranteed. In addition, the books Lai brought to his Catholic father included a religious book and another treatise on intellectuals and society.
Recent Comments