Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul who has come to symbolize defiance to Beijing, would devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism if he were released, his daughter said Monday after he was convicted in a national security case.
Claire Lai made an appeal for her 78-year-old father’s freedom following the verdict in Hong Kong stemming from his political advocacy. He now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
“He just wants to reunite with his family. He wants to dedicate his life to serving our Lord, and he wants to dedicate the rest of his days to his family,” she told The Associated Press in an interview in Washington. “My father is fundamentally not a man who operates on illegal ground.”
Her words, echoing an op-ed she wrote this month in The Washington Post saying her father’s “crusading days are over,” come as the legal process is nearing the end. This paves the way for a possible diplomatic solution between Beijing and Western governments, especially the White House.
“I feel so badly. I spoke to President Xi (Jinping) about it, and I asked to consider his release,” Trump told reporters Monday in the Oval Office, referencing China’s leader. Jimmy Lai is “not well, he’s an older man, and he’s not well, so I did put that request out. We’ll see what happens.”
Lai was arrested in August 2020 under a national security law that Beijing imposed as part of a wide-ranging crackdown on dissent in the wake of huge anti-government protests in 2019 in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese city. Lai has spent five years in custody, much of it in solitary confinement.
US and UK call for Lai’s release
Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media: “I echo President Trump’s call for Beijing to conclude this ordeal and release Mr. Lai.”
“The guilty verdict in Mr. Lai’s national security case reflects the enforcement of Beijing’s laws to silence those who seek to protect freedom of speech and other fundamental rights,” Rubio said in a separate statement.
In London, one of Claire Lai’s brothers is lobbying the British government to secure their father’s freedom.
“Regarding the United Kingdom, we talk about normalizing relationships. Well, my father’s freedom should be a precondition to that,” Sebastien Lai said.
Asked if he is optimistic that international pressure can help, he said, “I think you’ve got to keep fighting no matter what. I think, taking my father’s example, standing up for what is right is why we’re doing it. This is my way of fighting for it.”
Tom Wells, spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said Jimmy Lai’s case has been a priority for this government and “we will continue to call for his immediate release.”
Lai’s daughter told the AP on Monday that she envisioned her father focusing on religion if he were freed.
“He started drawing pictures of the crucifixion and of the Blessed Mother in prison,” Claire Lai said. “And that is what he wants to continue doing when he’s out.”
Deteriorating health
She said five years of solitary confinement has taken a toll on Jimmy Lai’s health. Once a large and robust man, he has lost a significant amount of weight, she said.
“He is a lot weaker and has only gotten weaker in the last year,” said Claire Lai, who got to see her father in court and on prison visits. “He has back pains and waist pains, his nails when we visit we can tell that they’re turning colors and falling off. Some of his teeth are rotting.”
She added that he has heart palpitations, is diabetic and that his vision and hearing are failing.
Chris Tang, Hong Kong’s security chief, has rebuked such health concerns, saying Lai has received “full medical services” and that he has never complained of the medical care he’s received.
Tang said Lai asked to be jailed by himself and the request was granted for his personal safety and well-being.
Claire Lai, who risks not being able to return to Hong Kong after speaking out, said she just wants to reunite with her father.
“I miss him dearly, but if me coming out and speaking out means that we have many more days together, then it will be worth it, and that’s why I’m here now,” she said.
Pressing to secure Jimmy Lai’s freedom
While in Washington, Lai said she’s seen support from politicians across the political spectrum. She pointed to the Trump administration stepping up on her father’s behalf.
“We have been met with such kindness and such grace and just such generosity, and I think that is extremely humbling, and I’m extremely grateful for it,” she said.
Before Trump met Xi in South Korea in October, a bipartisan group of more than 30 U.S. Senators urged Trump to help secure Lai’s release.
Tom Kellogg, executive director of the Center for Asian Law at Georgetown University, said it makes sense to seek medical parole, given Lai’s health.
“Now that we have a verdict, Trump needs to put pressure on the Chinese government to release Jimmy as soon as possible,” Kellogg said.
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Associated Press writer Sylvia Hui in London contributed to this story.
