Former Apple Daily executive editor appeals 10-year sentence in Hong Kong
A second senior executive from the shuttered newspaper seeks a reduced sentence for collusion charges.
Lam Man-chung, the 56-year-old former executive editor-in-chief of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, has formally appealed his 10-year prison sentence. He was convicted under Hong Kong's national security law for conspiring with the publication's founder, Jimmy Lai, and others to collude with foreign forces by encouraging international sanctions against Beijing and Hong Kong authorities. His lawyer filed the application just before the 28-day deadline, making him the second senior Apple Daily figure to seek a reduced sentence after managing editor Fung Wai-kong.
Lam was among six former senior executives who pleaded guilty to the collusion charges, which stemmed from actions taken after the national security law came into effect on June 30, 2020. The case represents a significant legal proceeding testing the application of the sweeping national security legislation. Notably, Jimmy Lai himself, who received a 20-year sentence, has instructed his lawyers not to appeal his conviction.
- Lam Man-chung, former Apple Daily executive editor, appeals his 10-year sentence for national security law violations.
- He is the second defendant to seek a reduced sentence, following colleague Fung Wai-kong's appeal last week.
- The convictions relate to conspiring with foreign forces to instigate sanctions after the law took effect in June 2020.
Why It Matters
This appeal tests the legal boundaries and sentencing under Hong Kong's national security law, with implications for media and free expression.