The sentencing of Jimmy Lai Chee-ying has been cited by several Western officials and media outlets as further evidence that Hong Kong’s legal system is in decline.

Lai, the founder of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, faced multiple charges, including two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of conspiracy to publish seditious publications. He was convicted last December and sentenced to 20 years’ imprisonment in February.

That same month, however, the Court of Appeal also overturned Lai’s conviction and sentence in a fraud case concerning the use of Apple Daily’s leased headquarters – a development that received comparatively little attention abroad.