Hong Kong Court Overturns Conviction Against Jimmy Lai

Hong Kong's Court of Appeal overturned the conviction and sentence for fraud against media tycoon Jimmy Lai. The judges granted leave to appeal, quashed the convictions, and set aside the sentences. Initially, Lai received a sentence of nearly six years for breaching the lease terms of Apple Daily’s headquarters.

In a significant legal victory, Hong Kong's Court of Appeal has overturned the convictions and sentences against pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai and another defendant linked to fraud charges.

The court, led by Judges Jeremy Poon, Anthea Pang, and Derek Pang, granted Lai's appeal, setting aside his nearly six-year prison sentence issued for allegedly breaching lease terms at the Apple Daily headquarters.

The ruling also involved Wong Wai-keung, a Next Digital executive, who had been sentenced to 21 months in prison on fraud charges, marking a setback for the initial rulings against prominent figures in the Hong Kong media landscape.

(With inputs from agencies.)