Hong Kong’s leading anti-Beijing advocates were found guilty earlier this month of organising and participating in a massive protest in August 2019, where an estimated 1.7 million people marched in opposition to a security bill.
Convicted opposition activists include media tycoon and founder of the Apple Daily tabloid Jimmy Lai, as well as 82-year-old Martin Lee, a veteran of the city’s anti-Beijing movement.
The mass arrests were the largest move against Hong Kong’s activist movement since the national security law was imposed by Beijing in the semi-autonomous territory last year.
Media tycoon Jimmy Lai was charged on suspicion of colluding with foreign forces and endangering national security under the new national security law that Chia imposed on Hong Kong.
Jimmy Lai of Next Digital, which publishes Apple Daily newspaper, is among 10 people arrested on August 10 over suspicions of violating a national security law and colluding with a foreign country.
The arrest comes after China imposed a sweeping new national security law on Hong Kong in late June.
More than a day after his arrest under China's newly imposed national security law in Hong Kong, the anti-Beijing figure was released to the cheers of his supporters.
The pro-democracy media mogul Lai and activist Chow are the highest profile arrests made under Beijing’s sweeping national security law.
Lai owns the group which publishes anti-Beijing paper Apple Daily. His arrest marks the first time the law is being used against Hong Kong's news media.
The US and the UK both criticised the arrests of anti-Beijing movement supporters included Democratic Party founder and barrister Martin Lee, 81, millionaire publishing tycoon Jimmy Lai, 71, and former lawmaker and barrister Margaret Ng, 72.
Hong Kong's Apple Daily newspaper said Jimmy Lai, the founder of Next Media, was picked up from his home by officers at around 7 am and taken to a police station in the Kowloon neighbourhood.
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