Hong Kong Court Overturns Jimmy Lai's 2022 Fraud Conviction Amid Ongoing Imprisonment

Hong Kong's Court of Appeal overturned Jimmy Lai's 2022 fraud conviction and five-year, nine-month sentence related to lease breaches at his Apple Daily headquarters, citing insufficient proof of false representation. Lai, a pro-democracy media tycoon and critic of Beijing, remains imprisoned after receiving a separate 20-year sentence under the national security law for collusion and sedition charges. The ruling marks a rare legal victory amid ongoing international concern over Hong Kong's crackdown on dissent and press freedom.