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Hong Kong court quashes fraud conviction for pro-democracy tycoon
Jimmy Lai, the prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy advocate and media mogul, had his 2022 fraud conviction overturned by the city's Court of Appeal on Thursday. The ruling also cleared a co-defendant accused of illegally subletting office space. Despite the decision, the 78-year-old remains imprisoned under a separate 20-year sentence for colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong's national security law.
Lai's continued detention sparks outrage
Lai, a British citizen and outspoken critic of Beijing, has been detained since 2020. His daughter, Claire Lai, dismissed the court's ruling as a "PR move" by Hong Kong authorities, telling the BBC it "changes nothing" about her father's unjust imprisonment. She warned that without urgent intervention, Lai could spend nearly two decades behind bars.
"The rule of law is broken there, and my father is still unjustly imprisoned and will remain so for nearly 20 years unless urgent action is taken to secure his release."
Claire Lai, daughter of Jimmy Lai
Health concerns and political persecution claims
Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, leading Lai's international legal team, condemned the ruling as a hollow gesture, noting Lai's deteriorating health in prison. She told the BBC the decision did not reflect fairness in Hong Kong's legal system, adding that Lai risks dying in custody due to his condition.
Family members previously reported that Lai's teeth were rotting and his fingernails "sometimes fall off," though Chinese authorities insist he is in "good health" and receives "appropriate" care.
Background: Apple Daily and national security law
Lai founded Apple Daily in 1995, a tabloid critical of Beijing that became Hong Kong's largest pro-democracy newspaper. The outlet was forced to close in 2021 after Lai and other staff were arrested under the national security law, which critics say has been used to silence dissent.
The fraud case centered on allegations that Lai violated lease terms by allowing his private consultancy to operate in office space rented by Apple Daily. Wong Wai-keung, a former executive at Lai's media company, was also convicted and sentenced to 21 months in the same case.
International reactions and skepticism
The UK and US governments recently accused Hong Kong of using the national security law to "silence" activists like Lai. Beijing and local authorities defend the law as necessary for stability, denying it erodes the territory's freedoms as a semi-autonomous region of China.
Supporters argue Lai's trials are politically motivated. One attendee at Thursday's hearing told the BBC the overturned conviction was meaningless, saying, "Even if [he] is released at 96 rather than 98, it doesn't make much difference."
