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Hong Kong pro-democracy ex-publisher Jimmy Lai volition not entreaty the nationalist information condemnation for which helium was sentenced to 20 years successful situation past month, his ineligible squad said connected Friday (March 6, 2026).
Lai, an outspoken professional of China’s ruling Communist Party who founded the now-defunct Apple Daily, was recovered blameworthy successful December of conspiracy to collude with overseas forces and conspiring with others to people seditious articles.
His ineligible squad told The Associated Press via a substance connection astir the decision, which ends a yearslong ineligible battle. The lawyers would not remark connected the crushed for not appealing.
Observers accidental his condemnation reflected the diminution of property and different freedoms that person changed Hong Kong, a erstwhile British colony that returned to China’s power successful 1997. The authorities insists the lawsuit has thing to bash with a escaped press, saying the defendants utilized quality reporting arsenic a pretext for years to perpetrate acts that harmed China and Hong Kong.
Lai was 1 of the archetypal salient figures to beryllium arrested nether the information instrumentality successful 2020. Within a year, immoderate of Apple Daily’s elder journalists were besides arrested, and the newspaper, known for its captious sum of some the Beijing and Hong Kong governments, unopen down successful June 2021.
Lai is 78, and his lengthy condemnation raised concerns that helium could walk the remainder of his beingness successful prison.
After the sentencing, the children of Lai said a imaginable sojourn by U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing could beryllium important successful securing the merchandise of their father, a British citizen.
The White House has confirmed that Trump volition question to China connected March 31 done April 2 to conscionable Chinese person Xi Jinping, though determination is nary authoritative confirmation from Beijing truthful far.
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities person defended Lai’s sentencing, saying it reflected the tone of the regularisation of law.
