February 26, 2026 | 04:18 pm
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Pro-democracy media tycoon in Hong Kong, Jimmy Lai, has won his appeal on Thursday, February 26, 2026, against a 2022 fraud conviction. This decision comes just days after the court jailed him on separate national security charges.
The ruling marks an unexpected victory for Lai, the founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper. Earlier this month, he was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of collusion under Beijing-enforced national security laws.
The fraud case stemmed from a contractual dispute unrelated to the allegations he faced under the national security law.
The 78-year-old Lai did not appear in court and remains behind bars.
"(We) allow the appeals, quash the convictions and set aside the sentences," said Chief Judge of the High Court Jeremy Poon, adding that he granted Lai's application for acquittal, as cited by CNA.
In 2022, Lai received a five-year and nine-month prison sentence for what the trial judge described as a "planned, organised and years-long" scheme.
It is still unclear how Thursday's decision will affect Lai's overall prison term.
Prosecutors have not responded to questions from reporters about whether they will appeal. The Hong Kong government also has not answered inquiries.
Lai was handed a 20-year sentence in his national security case, with two years of it designed to overlap with his fraud conviction, which has now been overturned.
In the fraud case, prosecutors said during the trial that a consultancy company operated by Lai for his personal use had taken up office space leased by Apple Daily for publishing and printing purposes.
This breached the terms of the lease agreement signed by Apple Daily with the government company and constituted fraud, prosecutors said.
However, Poon ruled on Thursday that "the prosecution has failed to prove that the applicants had made the false representation as alleged."
The judges at the Court of Appeal wrote in their ruling that while Apple Daily Printing had breached the lease terms by allowing the company to use some office space, they were not under an obligation to disclose the breach.
The judge said that even if the company was under an obligation and did breach that obligation, the same cannot legally be imputed to Lai and Wong.
Former executive of Apple Daily, Wong Wai-Keung, was also charged in a similar case and given a 21-month prison sentence in 2022.
Wong's sentence and conviction were also overturned on Thursday.
Lengthy Sentence
The lengthy sentence—for two charges of colluding with foreign forces and one charge of publishing seditious material—has raised concerns that he could spend the rest of his life in prison.
Lai's children have reportedly expressed hope that the visit of U.S. President Donald Trump to Beijing can help secure the release of their father, a British citizen, as per Al Jazeera.
The White House has confirmed that Trump will travel to China on March 31 to April 2 to meet with President Xi Jinping.
UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has stated that Lai was sentenced for using his right to freedom of expression and has called on the Hong Kong authorities to release him on humanitarian grounds.
Chinese and Hong Kong authorities have defended Lai's conviction on national security grounds, stating that it reflects the rule of law. They have also emphasized the necessity of the national security law for the city's stability.
Read: Hong Kong: Media Tycoon Jimmy Lai Sentenced to 20 years
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