London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 22, 2025

Liberado bajo fianza, magnate de la prensa prodemocracia de Hong Kong Jimmy Lai

Hong Kong pro-democracy press mogul Jimmy Lai released on bail

Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai was released on Tuesday more than a day after being detained under a national security law imposed by China, according to AFP sources.

Lai left a Hong Kong police station around midnight (16:00 GMT), as supporters hailed his release.

Earlier, Hong Kongers went out to buy the Apple Daily 'en masse', a sign of people's support for this pro-democracy newspaper, owned by Jimmy Lai.

Lai was detained for more than 36 hours under the newly established law on national security.

Signs of Beijing's decision to bring this semi-autonomous region under tighter control have multiplied since it enacted the national security law in response to months of violent protests in 2019.

Lai, a wealthy media mogul, was among 10 people who were arrested on Monday in a major operation against the pro-democracy movement, before about 200 policemen raided the newsroom of his newspaper, which is highly critical of Beijing.

Lai's supporters rushed to newsstands on Tuesday to procure the Apple Daily, which ran a print run of 550,000, eight times more than usual.

Considered a response from Beijing after months of pro-democracy demonstrations that rocked Hong Kong in 2019, the national security law imposed on June 30 gives local authorities new powers to crack down on separatism, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

Many protestors denounce the move as restricting liberty since it ends with the "one country, two systems" principle established during the 1997 handover and which guaranteed Hong Kongers freedoms unknown in the rest of China until 2047.

They are also concerned that Beijing uses similar laws to silence protests in other parts of its territory.

Several foreign leaders expressed concern, including US diplomatic chief Mike Pompeo, who met Lai last year and saw his arrest as further proof that the Chinese Communist Party destroyed the freedoms of Hong Kong and the rights of the people.

Lai was arrested for collusion with foreign forces and fraud.

Two of his children were also arrested, as well as the young democratic activist Agnes Chow and Wilson Li, a former activist who presents himself as a freelance journalist for the British network ITV News.

Chow was also released on bail Tuesday.

According to Hong Kong-based The South China Morning Post the Hong Kong police force also added US-based Samuel Chu, of the Hong Kong Democracy Council (HKDC), and another local man to the wanted list, as they were believed to be linked to the case.

Chu was already listed as a wanted person earlier this month, along with five other people, including activist Nathan Law Kwun-chung and former British consulate employee Simon Cheng Man-kit.

The group have been accused of inciting secession and collusion with foreign and external forces to endanger national security, according to a police source.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
Surging AI Startup Valuations Fuel Bubble Concerns Among Top Investors
Australian Punter Archie Wilson Tears Up During Nebraska Press Conference, Sparking Conversation on Male Vulnerability
Australia Confirms U.S. Access to Upgraded Submarine Shipyard Under AUKUS Deal
“Firepower” Promised for Ukraine as NATO Ministers Meet — But U.S. Tomahawks Remain Undecided
Brands Confront New Dilemma as Extremists Adopt Fashion Labels
The Sydney Sweeney and Jeans Storm: “The Outcome Surpassed Our Wildest Dreams”
Erika Kirk Delivers Moving Tribute at White House as Trump Awards Charlie Presidential Medal of Freedom
British Food Influencer ‘Big John’ Detained in Australia After Visa Dispute
ScamBodia: The Chinese Fraud Empire Shielded by Cambodia’s Ruling Elite
French PM Suspends Macron’s Pension Reform Until After 2027 in Bid to Stabilize Government
Orange, Bouygues and Free Make €17 Billion Bid for Drahi’s Altice France Telecom Assets
Dutch Government Seizes Chipmaker After U.S. Presses for Removal of Chinese CEO
×