HONG KONG -- Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, an instigator of Hong Kong riots, appeared in court Saturday in Hong Kong for the charge of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security.

Lai was denied bail by West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts and his case was adjourned to April 16, 2021 for further investigations.

Court documents showed Lai was suspected of requesting a foreign country or an institution, organization or individual outside China to impose sanctions or blockade, or engage in other hostile activities against the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region or China from July 1 to Dec 1.

The police will examine more than 1,000 messages and related videos of Lai's social media account.

Lai was arrested multiple times in 2020 for the offense under the national security law in the HKSAR, conspiracy to defraud and incitement, and involvement in illegal assemblies.