Former Apple Daily executive editor appeals 10-year sentence in Hong Kong

The former executive editor-in-chief of Hong Kong’s defunct Apple Daily newspaper, founded by Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, has lodged an appeal against his 10-year sentence imposed under the National Security Law.Lam Man-chung’s lawyer filed the application at the Court of Appeal on Friday, ahead of the statutory 28-day deadline for criminal appeals expiring on Monday.The 56-year-old is the second defendant to seek a reduced sentence after Fung Wai-kong, 62, managing editor of Apple Daily’s English edition, submitted a similar application last week.They were among six former senior executives of the tabloid-style newspaper who pleaded guilty to conspiring with Lai, 78, and others to collude with foreign forces by instigating international sanctions against Beijing and Hong Kong authorities after the National Security Law took effect on June 30, 2020.Lai, who was jailed for 20 years for two conspiracy counts of collusion and a third for conspiracy to print and distribute seditious articles, has instructed his lawyers not to appeal against his conviction and sentence.The 56-year-old is the second defendant to seek a reduced sentence after Fung Wai-kong, managing editor of Apple Daily’s English edition, submitted a similar application last week. Photo: Sam TsangLam, Fung and editor-in-chief Ryan Law Wai-kwong, 52, were each jailed for 10 years.