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Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old founder of the former Apple Daily newspaper, has decided not to appeal his recent 20-year prison sentence.
His legal representatives confirmed on Friday that they received explicit instructions from Lai to accept the conviction and penalty without further challenge.
While the legal team did not provide a specific reason for this decision, the move marks a definitive end to the high-profile legal battle surrounding the pro-democracy mogul.
The conviction, handed down in February, found Lai guilty of foreign collusion and sedition under the national security law implemented by Beijing.
This sentence stands as the most severe punishment issued since the legislation was introduced following the city’s 2019 pro-democracy demonstrations.
While eight other defendants, including various media executives, received sentences of up to a decade, Lai was the only one in the group to maintain a plea of not guilty throughout the proceedings.
The verdict has sparked significant backlash from the international community and human rights organisations.
Critics have described the lengthy term as a “death sentence” for the elderly activist and a major blow to press freedom in Hong Kong.
While the United Nations and high-level global leaders have called for his release and the dismissal of the verdict, Hong Kong officials have defended the sentencing as a necessary reinforcement of the city’s rule of law.
