JIMMY LAI. Media mogul Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, leaves the Court of Final Appeal by prison van in Hong Kong, China February 9, 2021.JIMMY LAI. Media mogul Jimmy Lai, founder of Apple Daily, leaves the Court of Final Appeal by prison van in Hong Kong, China February 9, 2021.

Hong Kong court overturns China critic Jimmy Lai’s fraud conviction in rare legal victory

2026/02/26 10:58
4 min read

HONG KONG– Pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai’s fraud conviction and prison sentence were overturned by a Hong Kong court on Thursday, in a surprise legal decision that comes soon after Lai was jailed for 20 years on a separate national security charge.

Judges Jeremy Poon, Anthea Pang, and Derek Pang said in the judgment that they allowed the appeal from Lai, and another defendant in the case, to proceed, as a lower court judge had “erred.”

“The Court of Appeal gave them leave to appeal against their conviction, allowed their appeals, quashed the convictions and set aside the sentences,” the judges wrote in a press summary of their judgement.

Even with the quashing of the fraud conviction and sentence, Lai will still remain imprisoned for 20 years in a separate national security case over two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one for publishing seditious materials.

That case has drawn global criticism from rights groups and countries including the US and Britain and served as one of the most high-profile events in a years-long crackdown under a national security law imposed by Beijing after mass pro-democracy protests in 2019.

Must Read

Jimmy Lai, Hong Kong tycoon and democratic firebrand who stood up to China

Thursday’s legal victory was a rare one for the prominent China critic who has faced multiple prosecutions in recent years, and described himself in court as a “political prisoner”.

Also on Thursday, a court sentenced the father of a wanted pro-democracy activist to eight months in prison under a homegrown national security law after he attempted to terminate her insurance policy and withdraw funds.

‘The judge erred’

Lai was sentenced in December 2022 to five years and nine months in jail after being found guilty of breaching the lease terms of Apple Daily’s headquarters by concealing the operation of a private company, Dico Consultants Ltd, in the building.

Must Read

TIMELINE: Hong Kong’s legal clampdown on Jimmy Lai, tycoon and China critic

Another Next Digital executive, Wong Wai-keung, 61, was found guilty of fraud and jailed for 21 months.

“In conclusion, we hold that Apple Daily Printing did not owe a duty to the Corporation to disclose its breach of the user restrictions or the non-alienation clauses occasioned by Dico’s occupation and use of the said Premises. With respect, the Judge erred,” the judgement read.

“His reasoning in concluding that the applicants were liable for the concealment as the prosecution contended is unsupportable. He erred in making those findings.”

In the earlier ruling, Judge Stanley Chan wrote that Lai was aware of the need to apply for a license from the Hong Kong Industrial Estates Corporation for Dico to operate at the headquarters and had “acted under the protective umbrella of a media organization.”

During the appeal hearing, Lai’s lawyer Derek Chan said that Dico, a company owned by Lai, supported the publishing and printing of the newspapers apart from handling the tycoon’s private affairs.

He noted that at the start of the charge period on April  1, 1998, Dico held a 49% stake in Apple Daily and was linked to Next Animation, the studio that produced animations for the newspaper’s online news reports.

It wasn’t immediately clear if the prosecution would appeal.

Deteriorating health

Lai’s son and daughter have warned their 78-year-old father might die in prison given his deteriorating health from over five years in solitary confinement. Lai has suffered from retinal vein occlusion in his right eye, high blood pressure, heart palpitations and progressive hearing loss.

Rights groups and numerous democratic countries have called for Lai’s release. US President Donald Trump raised the matter with his Chinese counterpart, Xi Jinping, and is expected to follow up again in a closely anticipated visit to Beijing at the end of March. – Rappler.com

Market Opportunity
LayerAI Logo
LayerAI Price(LAI)
$0.00002453
$0.00002453$0.00002453
+0.08%
USD
LayerAI (LAI) Live Price Chart
Disclaimer: The articles reposted on this site are sourced from public platforms and are provided for informational purposes only. They do not necessarily reflect the views of MEXC. All rights remain with the original authors. If you believe any content infringes on third-party rights, please contact [email protected] for removal. MEXC makes no guarantees regarding the accuracy, completeness, or timeliness of the content and is not responsible for any actions taken based on the information provided. The content does not constitute financial, legal, or other professional advice, nor should it be considered a recommendation or endorsement by MEXC.

You May Also Like

CME Group to launch options on XRP and SOL futures

CME Group to launch options on XRP and SOL futures

The post CME Group to launch options on XRP and SOL futures appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. CME Group will offer options based on the derivative markets on Solana (SOL) and XRP. The new markets will open on October 13, after regulatory approval.  CME Group will expand its crypto products with options on the futures markets of Solana (SOL) and XRP. The futures market will start on October 13, after regulatory review and approval.  The options will allow the trading of MicroSol, XRP, and MicroXRP futures, with expiry dates available every business day, monthly, and quarterly. The new products will be added to the existing BTC and ETH options markets. ‘The launch of these options contracts builds on the significant growth and increasing liquidity we have seen across our suite of Solana and XRP futures,’ said Giovanni Vicioso, CME Group Global Head of Cryptocurrency Products. The options contracts will have two main sizes, tracking the futures contracts. The new market will be suitable for sophisticated institutional traders, as well as active individual traders. The addition of options markets singles out XRP and SOL as liquid enough to offer the potential to bet on a market direction.  The options on futures arrive a few months after the launch of SOL futures. Both SOL and XRP had peak volumes in August, though XRP activity has slowed down in September. XRP and SOL options to tap both institutions and active traders Crypto options are one of the indicators of market attitudes, with XRP and SOL receiving a new way to gauge sentiment. The contracts will be supported by the Cumberland team.  ‘As one of the biggest liquidity providers in the ecosystem, the Cumberland team is excited to support CME Group’s continued expansion of crypto offerings,’ said Roman Makarov, Head of Cumberland Options Trading at DRW. ‘The launch of options on Solana and XRP futures is the latest example of the…
Share
BitcoinEthereumNews2025/09/18 00:56
Nvidia’s Jensen Huang believes markets are wrong on software selloff

Nvidia’s Jensen Huang believes markets are wrong on software selloff

Following a week that saw enterprise software giants like IBM and a bunch of cybersecurity firms endure their steepest declines in years, Nvidia’s chief executive
Share
Coinstats2026/02/26 13:41
Stunning Three-Year High Against USD Fueled By Hawkish RBA Bets

Stunning Three-Year High Against USD Fueled By Hawkish RBA Bets

The post Stunning Three-Year High Against USD Fueled By Hawkish RBA Bets appeared on BitcoinEthereumNews.com. Australian Dollar Soars: Stunning Three-Year High
Share
BitcoinEthereumNews2026/02/26 14:39