Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying will return to court next Thursday morning for a hearing as prosecutors pressed on with their bid to keep him behind bars, after he was earlier released on HK$10 million bail while facing charges of fraud and breaching the national security law.

According to Cheung Kim-hung, publisher of Apple Daily, Lai will appear at the Court of Final Appeal at 10am on December 31. He will have spent over a week out of custody since being granted bail on December 23.

The Department of Justice declined to comment on Lai’s case, citing ongoing legal proceedings.

Prosecutors lodged an urgent appeal with Hong Kong’s top court on Christmas Eve in a bid to have Lai – founder of Next Digital which owns Apple Daily – immediately sent back to jail after he was granted bail on Wednesday and placed under house arrest.

Lai was released on strict conditions, including not being allowed to accept interviews, give comments on his situation or step out of his home except for court matters and reporting to police.

He is also not allowed to leave Hong Kong, and had to surrender his travel documents.

Lai had spent 20 days in custody after he was first charged with fraud, then with collusion under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

His trial will begin at West Kowloon Court on April 16.