02/26/2026, 07:2102/26/2026, 07:21
A Hong Kong court has upheld jailed democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai’s appeal in a fraud case against him. The public prosecutor’s office had not proven beyond doubt that the ex-publisher and another defendant had provided false information, the appeal court explained in its reasons for the verdict. This means that the facts of the case are not fulfilled. However, despite the legal success, Lai remains in prison – because of a 20-year sentence that was recently imposed on him in another case.
At the beginning of February, the 78-year-old was sentenced to 20 years in prison.Image: keystone
Lai was sentenced in December 2022 to five years and nine months in prison plus a heavy fine. He was accused of violating the rental agreement for the premises of his now defunct newspaper Apple Daily by letting a consulting firm he controlled share part of the office. The rental agreement would therefore only have allowed the premises to be used for printing and publications.
What the decision means for Lai
Another court in China’s special administrative region sentenced the 78-year-old to 20 years in prison at the beginning of February after a long trial in another case. The judges had previously found the critic of the Chinese government guilty of conspiring to collaborate with foreign forces and publishing seditious publications. Lai has been in prison since 2021 as he had previously been convicted in other cases.
In its verdict at the beginning of February, which was sharply criticized internationally, the court cited the highly controversial security law in Hong Kong, which critics say is being exploited by the power apparatus for political repression. Because of the old age of the “Apple Daily” founder and his poor health, it was interpreted as a life sentence, so to speak. Lai, who also holds a British passport, is considered one of the most prominent voices in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. (sda/dpa)