Hong Kong court’s denial of bail for Jimmy Lai over fraud charges was clearly “political suppression,” said activists and political commentators after the media tycoon was remanded in custody on Thursday.

The Apple Daily founder will not hear his case until April next year. Next Digital’s director Royston Chow and the media group’s administrative director Wong Wai-keung, who were also charged with fraud on Wednesday, were granted bail.

Magistrate Victor So said there is a high risk for Lai to flee because of his separate national security arrest.

Cheung Kim-hung, CEO of Next Digital, said they would file an appeal against the court’s decision.

Ivan Choy, senior lecturer at the Chinese University of Hong Kong’s department of government and public administration, slammed the judge for being unfair to Lai and for “making judgement before trial.”

It is very likely an act of political prosecution, given Lai’s background as a pro-democracy media mogul and the fact that he had a clear record.

Former pro-democracy lawmaker and journalist Claudia Mo expressed concerns over self-censorship of the media, as Lai’s case may urge news portals to stick to the government’s stance in future reporting.

Exile activist Sunny Cheung warned on Facebook that “[political] retaliation is far from done”. He also urged Hongkongers to stay strong and never stop believing.

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