Hong Kong media mogul charged under security law
Hong Kong media tycoon and Beijing critic Jimmy Lai was charged under a new national security law yesterday, accused of colluding with foreign forces, the latest pro-democracy figure targeted under the legislation. Lai, 73, is the most high-profile figure charged under the sweeping law, which has targeted the city's pro-democracy movement but brought a semblance of calm to the finance hub after months of often-violent protests. The city's new national security unit charged him "with one count of 'collusion with a foreign country or with external elements to endanger national security'", police said in a statement. National security offences carry a maximum sentence of life in prison. Lai is the owner of Hong Kong's best-selling Apple Daily, a popular tabloid that is unashamedly pro-democracy and fiercely critical of authorities.
Comments