Hong Kong (AFP)
Hong Kong media magnate Jimmy Lai, a fierce opponent of Beijing, was arrested on Friday for participating in a pro-democracy demonstration last summer in the former British colony.
The wealthy 72-year-old businessman, boss of the daily Apple Daily, is accused of having participated in a rally on August 31, 2019, which had been prohibited by the police for security reasons.
Mr. Lai was arrested with two other pro-democracy combat veterans, Lee Cheuk Yan and Yeung Sum. The three men will be brought to court on May 5.
Hong Kong experienced its most serious political crisis from June to December since its handover to China in 1997, with sometimes very violent demonstrations demanding in particular democratic reforms and denouncing Beijing's grip on Hong Kong affairs
On August 31, tens of thousands of people gathered to mark the fifth anniversary of Beijing's refusal to hold elections by universal suffrage in Hong Kong.
This decision was the trigger for the "Umbrella Movement" of 2014, marked by 79 days of occupation of the financial and political heart of the city.
The August 31 demonstration degenerated into violent clashes between police and radicals.
To circumvent the ban, some demonstrators had claimed to participate in religious processions, which do not imply specific authorization.
Lai is also accused of intimidating a journalist in 2018 during a vigil in Hong Kong in memory of the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen crackdown in China.
"These unjustifiable arrests are a shameful attempt to harass and silence those who belong to the pro-democracy movement," said Amnesty International Hong Kong director Man-Kei Tam.
"This is again an illustration of the authorities' tactics of using charges for political ends to stamp out opposition voices."
Taiwanese Foreign Minister Joseph Wu also said he was "saddened" about the arrest.
"Apple Daily is a symbol of press freedom and freedom of expression and will remain standing despite repeated attacks by malicious forces," he said.
© 2020 AFP