Son of HK ex-publisher Lai says 77-year-old could die in jail and calls for his release

12/03/2025

Son of HK ex-publisher Lai says 77-year-old could die in jail and calls for his release

Sebastien Lai holds a picture of his father Jimmy Lai at the United Nations in Geneva on Feb 17. (AP)

WASHINGTON, March 12, (AP): The son of prominent Hong Kong former publisher Jimmy Lai, who is facing possible life imprisonment in the Chinese city, called Tuesday for his father’s release in a high-profile national security case. Sebastien Lai, in a meeting with reporters in Washington, said the prison conditions where his 77-year-old diabetic father is being held in solitary confinement are “inhumane for anybody, any age.”

“There is a real fear that he might pass away at any time,” said the son, who is leading an international campaign to free his father. “This year will be the fifth year for him to be in prison.” The case has drawn widespread international condemnation and is seen as evidence of the erosion of press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong.

The elder Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper known for its anti-Beijing stance, is standing trial on charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and of conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. The collusion charge carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment.

Last year, Lai pleaded not guilty to all charges. On March 6, he presented his final testimony and lawyers from both sides are expected to return to court to deliver their closing statements in August. He has been convicted in four separate cases involving fraud and unauthorized assemblies and has been given sentences totaling more than seven years, according to Amnesty International.