Son says Hong Kong media figure, 78, fears dying alone while legal team say Lai is now world’s highest profile political prisoner
The UK, the UN, EU and rights groups have condemned the sentencing of the pro-democracy activist and publisher Jimmy Lai, a British citizen who has been jailed for 20 years in Hong Kong on national security convictions that critics say are politically motivated.
Yvette Cooper, the UK foreign secretary, said: “For 78-year-old Jimmy Lai, 20 years is an effective life sentence, following a politically motivated prosecution under a law that was imposed to silence China’s critics. The Hong Kong authorities must end Jimmy Lai’s appalling ordeal and release him to be with his family.”
His son Sebastian said Lai feared dying alone while his legal team called him the world’s current highest profile political prisoner.
The UN rights chief, Volker Türk, said the verdict was incompatible with international law and must be quashed. “This outcome highlights how the vague and overly broad provisions of Hong Kong’s national security legislation can lead to being interpreted and enforced in violation of Hong Kong’s international human rights obligations,” he said.
