Jimmy Lai drops security conviction appeal

Jimmy Lai, the 78-year-old pro-democracy media mogul and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily, has decided not to appeal his national security conviction and 20-year jail term. He was found guilty in December of foreign collusion and seditious publication under the national security law imposed by China on China — Hong Kong. This sentence is the harshest penalty under the law to date and has drawn international condemnation from entities like the United States and the United Kingdom, with calls for his release. His legal team did not provide a reason for the decision, but observers suggest it reflects a disillusionment with the judiciary's handling of national security cases in China — Hong Kong. US President Donald Trump is expected to discuss Lai's case with China's leader Xi Jinping during an upcoming visit, though a diplomatic solution is considered unlikely. The case is seen as a symbol of the shriveling press freedoms and judicial independence in China — Hong Kong.