Washington, DC [US], February 10 (ANI): US Secretary of State Marco Rubio and UK Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper have condemned the imprisonment of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai and urged that he be released on humanitarian grounds.
In a post on X, Rubio described the sentencing as tragic and unjust. “The sentencing of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong is an unjust and tragic conclusion to this case. We urge the authorities to grant Mr. Lai humanitarian parole,” he said.
British Foreign Secretary Cooper said in a statement that Lai’s case was raised directly with Chinese President Xi Jinping during UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s visit to China. She reiterated support for the people of Hong Kong and called on China to honor the commitments made under the Sino-British Joint Declaration.
“British national Jimmy Lai was today sentenced to 20 years in prison in Hong Kong for exercising his right to freedom of expression, following a politically motivated prosecution. Beijing’s National Security Law was imposed on Hong Kong to silence China’s critics. For the 78-year-old, this is tantamount to a life sentence. I remain deeply concerned for Mr. Lai’s health, and I again call on the Hong Kong authorities to end his appalling ordeal and release him on humanitarian grounds, so that he may be reunited with his family,” the statement said.
The statement further noted that the prime minister raised Lai’s case directly with President Xi during his visit, opening discussions on the UK’s most serious concerns at the highest levels with the Chinese government. It added that following the sentencing, the UK would engage further on the matter and reaffirmed support for the people of Hong Kong, while emphasizing that China must honor the legally binding Sino-British Joint Declaration.
According to CNN, the sentence handed to Lai is the longest delivered under Hong Kong’s national security law and makes him ineligible for parole until he is in his late 90s. The report said Lai was found guilty of two national security charges and a sedition charge in December.
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