Hong Kong, Mar 6: Jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media tycoon Jimmy Lai has decided not to appeal his conviction under the city’s national security law, bringing an end to his legal battle and potentially opening the door for political negotiations over his release, his lawyers said.
Members of Lai’s legal team confirmed that the 78-year-old British citizen had issued clear instructions not to challenge the ruling. “We can confirm we have clear and definitive instructions not to lodge an appeal against conviction or sentence,” they said.
Lai was sentenced in February to 20 years in prison after being convicted of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, charges he had denied. The punishment is the harshest sentence imposed under Hong Kong’s national security law, introduced by Beijing following the 2019 pro-democracy protests.
The decision not to appeal effectively concludes the legal process in Lai’s case, which supporters say could pave the way for diplomatic or political efforts to secure his release.
Western governments, including the United Kingdom, have criticised the prosecution as politically motivated and called for Lai’s immediate release. The UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Türk said the verdict should be “promptly quashed as incompatible with international law.”
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is also understood to have raised the case during a recent meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing.
The case could also figure in future diplomatic discussions, with former US president Donald Trump having previously urged Xi to consider releasing Lai.
Prosecutors had linked Lai’s national security charges partly to his meetings with former US officials Mike Pence and Mike Pompeo during the 2019 protests.
Lai, founder of the now-shuttered pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, is one of the most prominent figures arrested under the national security law.
A separate fraud conviction against him was recently overturned by a Hong Kong appellate court, though it does not affect his current sentence.
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee defended the conviction, saying Lai’s “evil deeds were beyond measure”.
However, Lai’s family has expressed concern about his health in prison. His son Sebastien Lai said the 20-year term could amount to a “death sentence” for his elderly father.
“My father is still unjustly imprisoned and will remain so for nearly 20 years unless urgent action is taken to secure his release,” his daughter Claire Lai said.
