Hong Kong media tycoon is arrested for 'attending a banned rally' during the city's pro-democracy protests

  • Jimmy Lai, 72, is accused of joining an unauthorised assembly on August 31
  • He was arrested and charged along with two other pro-democracy activists 
  • The owner of tabloid Apple Daily could be jailed for up to five years if convicted 
  • Hong Kong was rocked by anti-government demonstrations for seven months

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, a high profile critic of Beijing, was arrested today for taking part in last year's pro-democracy protests that rocked the city for seven months.

The 72-year-old owner of the Apple Daily newspaper is accused of joining a rally on August 31 that had been banned by police for security reasons.

Lai was arrested and charged along with veteran pro-democracy activists Lee Cheuk Yan and Yeung Sum, police said.

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested today for taking part in last year's pro-democrayc protests

Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was arrested on Friday for taking part in last year's pro-democracy protests. He is pictured leaving the Kowloon City police station in Hong Kong

The trio could be jailed for up to five years if convicted of taking part in an 'unauthorised assembly'. They are due to appear in court on May 5.

Tens of thousands of protesters defied the police ban on the demonstration marking the anniversary of Beijing's rejection of a call for universal suffrage for Hong Kong that sparked the 2014 'Umbrella Movement'.

Some gathered in the name of a religious procession - which does not require police approval - while others claimed they were shopping.

Lai faces up to five years in prison if convicted of taking part in an 'unauthorised assembly' last August. This file photo from 2015 shows Lai gesturing during an interview in Hong Kong

Lai faces up to five years in prison if convicted of taking part in an 'unauthorised assembly' last August. This file photo from 2015 shows Lai gesturing during an interview in Hong Kong

In a separate charge, Lai is accused of intimidating a reporter in 2018 during a vigil for the victims of China's bloody Tiananmen crackdown on June 4, 1989.

Amnesty International said the legal action against the trio was politically motivated.

'These unjustifiable arrests are a shameless attempt to harass and silence those in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement,' said the rights group's Man-kei Tam.

Lord Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, called the arrests of the three 'outragous'.

He said: 'The arrest of three leading Hong Kong citizens, all of them known in their city and around the world as brave and respected advocates of free speech, accountable government, responsible social policy and political liberty is outrageous. 

'The Hong Kong Government, doubtless once more under instruction from the Communist regime in Beijing, appears to be twisting the law to attempt to frighten the community into accepting the Communist Party's attempts to bully Hong Kong to give up its belief in, and support for, the rule of law and the principle of "one country, two systems".

'This decision will send yet another signal to the world that the Chinese Communist Party is intent on throttling decency and freedom in Hong Kong. China's priority at the moment should clearly not be turning screws on a city which is celebrated for its commitment to values most of the world accepts, and is battling coronavirus.' 

Hong Kong was rocked by huge and sometimes violent street protests last year. The overhead view above shows thousands of people gathered in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay area ahead of a planned pro-democracy march in Hong Kong on January 1 this year

Hong Kong was rocked by huge and sometimes violent street protests last year. The overhead view above shows thousands of people gathered in Victoria Park in Causeway Bay area ahead of a planned pro-democracy march in Hong Kong on January 1 this year

The demonstrations, which began last June, were sparked by a now-abandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the authoritarian Chinese mainland. Above, a protester holds an umbrella as police fire tear gas during a protest in Hong Kong on January 1

The demonstrations, which began last June, were sparked by a now-abandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the authoritarian Chinese mainland. Above, a protester holds an umbrella as police fire tear gas during a protest in Hong Kong on January 1

Benedict Rogers, chairman of UK-based human rights group Hong Kong Watch, said: 'It is outrageous that three such prominent pro-democracy public figures should be arrested in this way. 

'This is yet another example of the serious erosion of and assault on Hong Kong's freedoms, human rights and autonomy. 

'We call on the United Kingdom and other governments around the world to make immediate representations and take action to protect Hong Kong's rapidly dwindling freedoms.' 

Lord Alton of Liverpool, a Patron of Hong Kong Watch, has written to the Foreign Secretary Dominic Raab today raising the case. 

The rallies and clashes have since died down, partly due to exhaustion and arrests but also because of the emergence of the deadly new coronavirus. In the picture above, pro-democracy protesters gather ahead of a planned march in Hong Kong on January 1

The rallies and clashes have since died down, partly due to exhaustion and arrests but also because of the emergence of the deadly new coronavirus. In the picture above, pro-democracy protesters gather ahead of a planned march in Hong Kong on January 1

Hong Kong was rocked by huge and sometimes violent street protests last year, sparked by a now-abandoned proposal to allow extraditions to the authoritarian Chinese mainland.

They soon morphed into a wider movement calling for greater freedoms in what is the most concerted challenge to Beijing's rule since the former British colony's 1997 handover.

The rallies and clashes have since died down, partly due to exhaustion and arrests but also because of the emergence of the deadly new coronavirus.

China and Hong Kong leaders have refused to accede to the protesters' demands, which include fully free elections in the city, an inquiry into alleged police misconduct, and amnesty for the nearly 7,000 people arrested during the movement - nearly a third of them under the age of 20.

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