LONDON: The son of jailed Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai is urgently seeking a meeting with UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer, fearing his father may not survive prison.
Sebastien Lai said fresh diplomatic pressure was needed to free the 77-year-old British citizen, who has been behind bars in Hong Kong since December 2020. “I don’t want my father to die in jail,” he told AFP in London.
Lai, founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, faces charges of foreign collusion and sedition under Hong Kong’s national security law, imposed by Beijing after the 2019 protests. He could face life in prison. His lawyers have raised concerns about his health and detention conditions.
UN rights experts and Western governments, including Britain, have called for his release. A UK government spokesperson said, “Jimmy Lai’s case is a priority,” but his legal team insists more urgency is needed.
Lawyer Caoilfhionn Gallagher warned delays could mean “a British national dying in prison for being a journalist.” Meanwhile, Beijing’s national security deputy in Hong Kong, Sun Qingye, dismissed calls for clemency, saying, “Why grant a pardon? What would be the reason?” Lai’s trial concluded after more than 50 days of testimony. Closing arguments are set for July 28. – AFP
