Hong Kong Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Will Not Appeal 20-Year National Security Conviction

Hong Kong pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai, sentenced to 20 years in prison in February for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and publishing seditious materials, has decided not to appeal his conviction, according to his legal team. Lai, a critic of China’s Communist Party and founder of the now-closed Apple Daily, faces health concerns after years in solitary confinement. His case has drawn international criticism, while Hong Kong and Beijing maintain the trial was fair under the national security law. Separately, a former Apple Daily editor is appealing a related sentence.