Washington — Washington (AFP) – Jimmy Lai, former Hong Kong pro-democracy media mogul He, who has become a symbol of defiance to Beijing, will devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism if he is released, his daughter said. Convicted in a case related to national security.
Claire Leigh has appealed for her 78-year-old father to be released Governance in Hong Kong Because of his political activity. He now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
“He just wants to be reunited with his family,” she told The Associated Press in an interview in Washington. “He wants to devote his life to serving the Lord, and he wants to devote the rest of his days to his family.” “My father is basically not a man who works on illegal land.”
Her words, which echo an op-ed she wrote this month in The Washington Post saying her father’s “crusading days are over,” come as the legal process draws to a close. This paves the way for a possible diplomatic solution between Beijing and Western governments, especially the White House.
“I feel very bad,” Trump told reporters Monday in the Oval Office, referring to the Chinese leader. “I spoke with President Xi (Jinping) about this and asked to consider his release.” Jimmy Lai “He’s not feeling well. He’s an old man, and he’s not feeling well, so I put in this request. We’ll see what happens.”
Lai was arrested in August 2020 under the law National Security Law It was imposed by Beijing as part of a widespread crackdown on dissent following massive anti-government protests in 2019 in Hong Kong, a semi-autonomous Chinese city. Lai spent five years in detention, most of it in solitary confinement.
“I reiterate President Trump’s call for Beijing to end this ordeal and release Mr. Lai,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on social media.
“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 expression and other fundamental rights,” Rubio said in a separate statement.
In London, one of Claire Leigh’s brothers puts pressure on the British government to secure their father’s freedom.
“As far as the UK is concerned, we are talking about normalization of relations. Well, my father’s freedom should be a precondition for that,” Sebastian Ley said.
When asked if he was optimistic that international pressure could help, he said: “I think you have to keep fighting no matter the circumstances. I think, based on my father’s example, standing up for what is right is why we do this. This is my way of fighting for it.”
Tom Wells, spokesman for Prime Minister Keir Starmer, said Jimmy Leigh’s case was 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 released.
“He started painting pictures of the crucifixion and the Blessed Mother in prison,” Claire Lay said. “And that’s what he wants to keep doing when he gets out.”
She said that five years of solitary confinement had taken a toll on Jimmy Lai’s health. He was a big, strong man, she said, who had lost a significant amount of weight.
“He’s gotten much weaker, and he’s only gotten weaker in the last year,” said Claire Lay, who has been able to see her father in court and on prison visits. “He suffers from back and waist pain, and when we visit him we can notice that his nails are changing colors and falling out. Also, some of his teeth are rotting.”
She added that he suffers from heart palpitations, diabetes, and poor vision and hearing.
Chris Tang, Hong Kong’s security chief, has criticized such health concerns, saying that Lai received “full medical services” and that he never complained about the medical care he received.
Tang said that Lai requested to be imprisoned alone, and the request was accepted in order to preserve 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 be reunited with her father.
“I miss him so much, but if me coming out and speaking publicly means we have many more days together, it will be worth it, and that’s why I’m here now,” she said.
While in Washington, Lai said she saw support from politicians across the political spectrum. She pointed to the Trump administration’s escalation in favor of her father.
“We’ve been met with such kindness and such grace and such generosity, and I think that’s very humbling, and I’m so grateful for that,” she said.
Before Trump’s meeting with Xi in South Korea in October, a bipartisan group of more than 30 US senators urged Trump to help secure Lai’s release.
Tom Kellogg, executive director of Georgetown University’s Asian Law Center, said it made sense to seek medical parole, given Lai’s health.
“Now that we have a ruling, Trump needs to pressure the Chinese government to release Jimmy as soon as possible,” Kellogg said.
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Associated Press writer Sylvia Howe in London contributed to this story.