The son of imprisoned Hong Kong media magnate and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai says he is optimistic that President Trump can convince China that his father should be released because keeping him in prison only reinforces the reputation of Beijing as an authoritarian, freedom-crushing power.
Sebastien Lai told reporters and editors at The Washington Times on Wednesday that freeing his father, who has been languishing on murky charges in a Hong Kong prison for nearly five years, would be a way for the Chinese Communist Party to show it is “turning over a new page.”
Doing so could indicate that Beijing is serious about attracting back to Hong Kong businesses that are wary of investing in the once-autonomous city-state after nearly a decade of aggressive CCP crackdowns on free speech and human rights.
“Hong Kong has always been known for its competence. It flourished because it had a working rule of law, a place where people could be happy investing in China,” Mr. Lai said.
“With what they are doing to my father and other pro-democracy protesters, it’s clear that that is no longer there,” he said. “The reason why I see some hope in my father’s case is because I think everybody benefits, including Hong Kong and China, with this return to professionalism.”
Jimmy Lai, 77, is the founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily, an exceptionally popular Hong Kong newspaper known for its outwardly pro-democracy stance and criticism of the CCP. He was arrested in August 2020 on charges of violating a controversial national security law that Beijing imposed that year on Hong Kong.
Hong Kong authorities subsequently raided Apple Daily’s offices and confiscated Mr. Lai’s assets.
Jimmy Lai was charged with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the national security law and conspiracy to publish seditious publications under a separate law predating the CCP’s push for control over the government of Hong Kong.
China critics say the laws are vague and have been abused to crush pro-democracy sentiment in Hong Kong. Mr. Lai pleaded not guilty in a trial that featured closing arguments on Aug. 27. He is awaiting a verdict.
Mr. Trump made international headlines as a presidential candidate in October by publicly promising to discuss Mr. Lai’s imprisonment with Chinese President Xi Jinping once elected. “One hundred percent, I will get him out,” Mr. Trump said.
He renewed the promise as Mr. Lai’s trial dragged on last month.
If convicted of the sedition charge, Mr. Lai faces a maximum of two years in prison, which he has already served. However, the national security charge is far more severe. It could carry a life sentence.
Hong Kong’s government pushed through the National Security Act in 2020 after massive protests in 2019 over a separate bill that would have allowed Beijing to arrest and extradite suspects in Hong Kong to mainland China.
In a wide-ranging discussion with The Times on Wednesday, Sebastien Lai said his father’s underlying health conditions, including diabetes, make an extended prison term a death sentence.
Jimmy Lai’s health has been further degraded by his nearly five-year stay in solitary confinement.
“He’s been tried under a law that shouldn’t exist in a system which has become profoundly unfair,” Caoilfhionn Gallagher, international counsel for the Lai family, said during the discussion Wednesday.
“So, we’re moving toward a position where he’ll be found guilty, and what we’re then facing is a sentence of a minimum of 10 years,” Ms. Gallagher said. “He could get a sentence of up to life imprisonment, but given his age and his state of health, anything is very likely to be essentially a death sentence.”
Concerns over Jimmy Lai’s health have delayed the trial, which has lasted nearly 160 days.
Sebastien Lai, who, like his father, is a British citizen, visited Washington this week to rally support among U.S. officials and members of Congress to push for his father’s release.
On Wednesday, he expressed deep gratitude for any efforts Mr. Trump has made to get his father out of Hong Kong.
“I’ve been doing this for a few years, and I’ve just always been so grateful and so amazed by all the support that we’ve been getting in the U.S.,” he said. “The values my father stands for and the willingness to stay in Hong Kong and sacrifice himself to defend his employees and his principles are something that really does speak to Americans.”
He also praised Mr. Trump for speaking out and vowing to get his father freed.
“The president didn’t have to say that; my father is a British citizen,” he said. “The fact that he did, I think, says how much the case means to him and to other people in his Cabinet.”
Since returning to the White House in January, Mr. Trump has made releasing international prisoners a key focus. In July, the Trump administration assisted in securing the release of American Israeli citizen Keith Siegel, who had been held for nearly 16 months by Hamas after the Oct. 7, 2023, terrorist attacks. Six U.S. citizens were released from Venezuelan custody in February.
In Britain, members of Parliament have called on Prime Minister Keir Starmer to push for Jimmy Lai’s release. In a joint letter to the prime minister Monday, they said it should be a nonpartisan issue.
“Britain’s historic relationship with Hong Kong makes you uniquely placed to show powerful leadership on an injustice which is not just devastating for one family, but emblematic of the wider erosion of freedoms in Hong Kong,” the letter reads.
