Hong Kong: former media mogul Lai will not appeal 20-year sentence

Hong Kong (USA), 6 March (LaPresse/AP) – Former Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, 78, will not appeal his 20-year prison sentence handed down last month for violating national security laws. The founder of the Apple Daily newspaper, which closed in 2021, was found guilty of colluding with foreign forces and publishing seditious articles. The decision, announced by his legal team, ends a long legal battle. The case is seen by many observers as a symbol of the decline of civil and press freedoms in Hong Kong, while Chinese and local authorities argue that the conviction relates to crimes against national security and not press freedom.