Apple Daily Editor Ryan Law, CEO Cheung Kim-hung Denied Bail In Hong Kong

 Editor-in-leader Ryan Law forty seven and leader government officer Cheung Kim-hung fifty nine had been amongst 5 Apple Daily executives arrested on Thursday.

Two executives of Hong Kong pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, charged beneathneath a country wide protection law, had been denied bail on Saturday in a case that has drawn worldwide condemnation and stoked fears over media freedoms withinside the economic hub.

Editor-in-leader Ryan Law forty seven and leader government officer Cheung Kim-hung fifty nine had been amongst 5 Apple Daily executives arrested on Thursday while 500 police additionally raided the outlet's newsroom, which government defined as a "crime scene."

Police stated on Thursday dozens of the newspaper's articles had been suspected of violating the country wide protection law. It become the primary case wherein government have referred to media articles as doubtlessly violating the contentious legislation.

Law and Cheung, who're charged with "collusion with a overseas united states or with outside factors to hazard country wide protection" seemed on the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Saturday and had been denied bail via way of means of Judge Victor So.

They will subsequent seem in courtroom docket on August 13.

The pair are accused of colluding with Apple Daily proprietor and staunch Beijing critic Jimmy Lai among July 1 2020 and April three April 2021 to request a overseas united states, individual or organisation "to impose sanctions or blockade or interact in different antagonistic sports in opposition to the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or the People's Republic of China," in line with a rate sheet.

The National Security Law got here into pressure in Hong Kong simply earlier than middle of the night on June 30, 2020.

Judge So stated Law and Cheung had been denied bail due to the fact there has been inadequate proof to consider they might now no longer endanger country wide protection.

Under the safety law, the onus is on defendants to show they'll now no longer pose a protection danger if launched on bail.

As a part of their bail application, Law and Cheung had presented to renounce their roles at Apple Daily, now no longer communicate to media and overseas politicians and pay coins bail - HK$three million ($386,463.forty seven)for Cheung and as much as HK$200,000 for Law.

Three corporations associated with Apple Daily which can be additionally being prosecuted for collusion with a overseas united states appointed humans to symbolize them in courtroom docket. Authorities have frozen HK$18 million ($2.32 million) of the corporations' belongings.

The different 3 executives arrested on Thursday, Chief Operating Officer Chow Tat-kuen, Deputy Chief Editor Chan Puiman and Chief Executive Editor Cheung Chi-wai, had been launched on bail past due on Friday, in line with Apple Daily.

"We will nevertheless submit the newspaper tomorrow. We will strive our quality to maintain running," stated Chan, who attended Saturday's listening to and become talking out of doors the courtroom docket after bail were denied.

Earlier on Saturday, crowds had accumulated out of doors the courtroom docket beforehand of the listening to, a few preserving yellow umbrellas or sporting Apple Daily T-shirts saying, "No fear, combat on."

The National Security Law punishes what Beijing widely refers to as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with overseas forces with as much as existence in prison.

The arrests and scale of the Apple Daily raid had been criticised via way of means of Western nations, international rights groups, press institutions and the leader U.N. spokesperson for human rights.

Apple Daily and its indexed writer Next Digital have come beneathneath growing stress given that Lai become arrested closing 12 months beneathneath the legislation.

Lai, whose belongings had been frozen beneathneath the safety law, is already in prison for enjoying unauthorised assemblies and looking ahead to trial in his country wide protection case.