Jimmy Lai will not appeal conviction, paving way for political negotiations

Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy activist, has said he will not appeal his conviction. A member of Lai’s Hong Kong legal team said: "We can confirm we have clear and definitive instructions not to lodge an appeal against conviction or sentence." The decision marks the end of a years-long legal saga for the 78-year-old critic of the Chinese Communist party (CCP) and opens the door for political negotiations over his release.

Lai, a British citizen, was sentenced in February after being convicted in December on charges of sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign forces; he had pleaded not guilty. His 20-year jail term is the harshest penalty given for national security offences in Hong Kong, and his family warned it could mean "he will die a martyr behind bars." Western governments, including the UK, have called the prosecution politically motivated and demanded his release, while the UN rights chief, Volker Türk, said the verdict was incompatible with international law and must be quashed.

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