The family of imprisoned Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai is sounding a fresh and urgent alarm over his rapidly declining health. His children, who recently met with international media, describe a severe deterioration in his physical condition after years of incarceration.
A Father's Health in Peril
Jimmy Lai, who will mark his 78th birthday next Monday, has been detained since late 2020. His imprisonment is part of a broader crackdown by Chinese authorities in Hong Kong, a financial hub that was promised a separate legal system when sovereignty was transferred from Britain in 1997. Lai, a diabetic, is being held in solitary confinement without air conditioning in a facility where summer temperatures can soar to a stifling 44 degrees Celsius.
His daughter, Claire Lai, who left Hong Kong after visiting her father several months ago, provided distressing details. "He has lost a very significant amount of weight, visibly, and he is a lot weaker than he was before," she stated. She further described how his nails turn purple, gray, and greenish before falling off and that his teeth are rotting.
Petty Harassment and Denied Comforts
Beyond the harsh physical conditions, Lai's family alleges he faces deliberate psychological pressure from guards. Claire Lai reported that authorities refuse to allow her father, a devout Catholic, to receive communion. She cited seemingly minor but cruel acts, such as denying him curry sauce after learning he enjoyed it. "It's little things like that that are extremely petty," she remarked during a visit to Washington, D.C., where the family is seeking to rally global support.
Jimmy Lai, a successful businessman who founded the outspoken pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, faces a legal sentence of at least 15 years in prison. He was convicted on charges of foreign collusion linked to the mass pro-democracy protests that swept Hong Kong in 2019. His family and supporters view the lengthy term as effectively a death sentence for a man of his age and health.
A Plea for International Action
Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, expressed hope that world leaders, including U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, would continue to press China for his father's release. Jimmy Lai holds British nationality, adding a layer of diplomatic responsibility for the UK. "It will take two hours to put my father on a plane and send him away," Sebastien Lai said. "It'll be the humane thing to do; it'll be the right thing to do. They've already put him through this hell."
The family's public appeal in Washington underscores their strategy of leveraging international pressure. They aim to highlight what they characterize as the inhumane treatment of a elderly prisoner and a stark symbol of Hong Kong's shrinking freedoms. As Jimmy Lai's health continues to fail behind bars, his children's campaign for mercy grows increasingly desperate.
