Keir Starmer urged to push for Jimmy Lai's release as marathon cross-examination finally ends
The 77-year-old pro-democracy campaigner and founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper on Monday denied allegations of requesting the US to sanction China for imposing a security law as prosecutors wrapped up their 24-day-long cross examination.
The media tycoon is facing the prospect of life in prison if found guilty of sedition and collusion with foreign powers under the city's national security law. He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
His son, Sebastien Lai, told Sky News that he has written to Sir Keir asking for a meeting with the prime minister over his father's condition.
Mr Lai suffers from diabetes and has lost a significant amount of weight, his son said, adding that his father has been kept in solitary confinement since 2021. Mr Lai has been denied independent medical care and is allowed out of his cell for 50 minutes a day, according to his lawyers and media reports.
Although Sir Keir has previously raised Mr Lai's case with Chinese president Xi Jinping, Sebastien Lai claims the prime minister needs to urgently push for his father's release. "He's still strong mentally and spiritually," he told the broadcaster. "But he's in the body of a 77-year-old, and it's just one of those situations where we can't wait."
Sebastien Lai argued that his father's case was a "litmus test" for the British government and a meeting with Mr Keir would show that No 10 was treating the media tycoon's case with "utmost priority". "It would take less than three hours for them to put him on a plane and send him back home to the UK," he said.
"So if they're not even willing to do something like this in such a clear-cut case, where he might very well die in jail, then what else can we expect from them?" he asked.
On the 50th day of the marathon trial, the prosecution in Hong Kong flagged an exchange between Lai and his aide Mark Simon a day after Donald Trump during his first presidency abolished Hong Kong's special status in 2020. In that exchange on Signal app, Mr Simon relayed a question from Mary Kissel, a senior adviser to then US secretary of state Mike Pompeo, to understand Mr Lai's position on US-Hong Kong relations.
Mr Lai told the court that his reply revealed his thinking at that time and denied the suggestion that he wished the US suspension of Hong Kong's special status would last, Hong Kong Free Press reported.
While he admitted that Mr Simon would relay the message to the White House, but argued it didn't constitute a direct request for Washington to impose sanctions. 'I was asked a question, and I answered the question,' he told the court.
In his reply to Mr Simon, the defendant had written: "I said that it's not necessary to revoke the special status of HK because with national security law HK is finished anyway. The point is not HK (Hong Kong) but China. Sanction China as to stop it from clamping down on HK."
Mr Lai said he was hoping for protection of human rights in Hong Kong and denied urging the US to engage in hostile activities against mainland China. 'I think that… freedom and human rights are, you know, a birthright for us,' he said. 'It's just very logical for me to suggest that.'
He further denied all allegations of conspiracies as 'totally rubbish', which he claimed the prosecutors 'just made it up'.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
5 minutes ago
- The Independent
Hong Kong pro-democracy activists granted asylum in Australia and Britain
A Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and a former lawmaker who are wanted by the city's authorities have been granted asylum in Great Britain and Australia, respectively. Tony Chung, an activist who was imprisoned under Hong Kong's sweeping national security law, and Ted Hui, a former lawmaker who was facing trial for his role in anti-government protests in 2019, both announced over the weekend that they have received asylum in the countries where they now live. They are among dozens of activists on the run from Hong Kong authorities. Civil liberties in the city have been greatly eroded since Beijing in 2020 imposed a national security law essentially criminalizing dissent in the former British colony. Both Beijing and Hong Kong have hailed the security law as bringing stability to the financial hub. Hui, who fled Hong Kong in December 2020, is part of a group of overseas activists who are targeted by police bounties of up to 1 million Hong Kong dollars ($127,800). The former lawmaker is now working as a lawyer in Adelaide. He announced on Facebook on Saturday that he and his family have been granted protection visas. 'I express my sincere gratitude to the Government of Australia — both present and former — for recognising our need for asylum and granting us this protection,' Hui wrote. 'This decision reflects values of freedom, justice, and compassion that my family will never take for granted.' While in Hong Kong, Hui had been an outspoken pro-democracy lawmaker. He was also known for disrupting a legislative session after he threw a rotten plant in the chamber to stop a debate of the national anthem bill — controversial legislation making it illegal to insult the Chinese national anthem. He was subsequently fined 52,000 Hong Kong dollars ($6,600) for the act. Chung, who had advocated for Hong Kong's independence, was sentenced to almost four years in prison for secession and money laundering in 2020. He was released on a supervision order, during which he traveled to Japan, from where he fled to Britain seeking asylum. In a post on social media platform Threads on Sunday, he expressed his excitement at receiving refugee status in Britain along with a five-year resident permit. He said that despite his challenges over the past few years, including persistent mental health problems, he remains committed to his activism. British and Australian authorities didn't immediately comment on the activists' statuses. Hong Kong's government did not comment directly on the cases but issued a statement on Saturday condemning 'the harbouring of criminals in any form by any country.' 'Any country that harbours Hong Kong criminals in any form shows contempt for the rule of law, grossly disrespects Hong Kong's legal systems and barbarically interferes in the affairs of Hong Kong,' the statement read.
Daily Mail
an hour ago
- Daily Mail
China's Communist Party is 'behind spate of takeovers' of British private schools - with more than 30 now in hands of foreign investors
China 's Communist Party is behind a spate of takeovers of British private schools, officials believe - with more than 30 bought by Chinese investors in the past decade. Department of Education and security officials are reportedly concerned by the trend - while sources claim they have been hindered by a failure to recognise China as a country which poses a risk to the UK's national security. A senior government source said China is 'playing the long game' by targeting private schools, adding that the country is 'doing all the things we used to do as an empire'. They told The Times: 'They targeted universities before but have realised it's easier to start younger. It's ideological warfare. These children will grow up and be helpful to the Communist Party.' Labour MP Phil Brickell, who sits on the foreign affairs committee, warned the UK's 'world-leading education system is an obvious target for influence' for China. He claimed previous governments have 'misunderstood' China's strategic threat, adding the current one must ensure British interests are protected. Analysis published in 2024 by Beijing-based company Venture Education said the demand among Chinese families for British education was the main reason behind the purchasing of schools. Labour MP Phil Brickell (pictured), who sits on the foreign affairs committee, warned the UK's 'world-leading education system is an obvious target for influence' for China The schools listed by Venture include Thetford Grammar School, which was founded in 1566 and is now owned by China Financial Services Holdings. Meanwhile, Wisbech Grammar, founded in 1379 and bought by Access Education, is also on the list. Some all girls' schools have begun accepting boys after their acquisition, including Abbots Bromley and Ipswich High School. Malvern St James was purchased in February, and a month later announced it would accept boys so it would appeal to the 'overseas international boarding market'. Venture Education's managing director Julian Fisher previously said: 'Surprisingly the application of VAT has increased interest from Asian investors, especially Chinese who generally see rupture as a time for opportunity. 'But most are wary of the current uncertainty and plan to hold off on any short-term deals; preferring instead to wait and see which are the highest ranked schools that might be available for sale.' He insisted that the only choices these private schools have is 'taking Chinese investment, staying open, giving consistent education to its existing students' or closing. Sir Keir Starmer has resisted pressure from security services to put China on the enhanced tier of the foreign influence registration scheme (FIRS). The scheme is set up to track people working for hostile states in the UK. A Government spokesperson said: 'All independent schools must adhere to the Independent School Standards. 'This includes to actively promote the fundamental British values of democracy, the rule of law, individual liberty, and mutual respect and tolerance of those with different faiths and beliefs. 'The Department for Education is the regulator of independent schools and can and will take enforcement action where the standards are not being met.'
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Former Hong Kong lawmaker says Australian asylum grant shows territory infringed rights
SYDNEY, Aug 18 (Reuters) - Exiled former Hong Kong lawmaker Ted Hui hailed on Monday Australia's grant of asylum status as a key acknowledgement of the territory's human rights infringements since its authorities quelled massive pro-democracy protests in 2019. Hui, who also urged support for businessman Jimmy Lai now being tried on national security charges, received asylum on Friday, more than four years after leaving Hong Kong, which has offered a bounty for him on criminal charges over the protests. "It is recognition by the Australian government that human rights infringements and erosion of democracy and freedom actually happened and justified granting asylum to people like me ... being persecuted because of the protests," Hui said. "I believe this is good for Australia to have that recognition and I am grateful for the country, which has given me so much," he told Reuters in an interview. Australian visa data reviewed by Reuters showed it had approved no asylum claims by citizens of the Asian financial hub since January 2021, and rejected five in 2023. Hui, who is working as a lawyer in South Australia, said the good news for his family came in a week during which he was concerned over Hong Kong's trial of his friend, the pro-democracy businessman Lai, on national security charges. "Jimmy Lai is very iconic of Hong Kong's resistance because he actually had the ability to leave Hong Kong but he decided to stay," he said. "That is very noble of him." Before his arrest, Lai had described himself to Hui as being "like a captain of a ship" in support of democratic values and would "sink with the ship". Hui added, "He deserves democracy's help in rescuing him when he is in a deep plight and he is not well." Lai, 77, received medication and a heart monitor for the start of the trial's final submissions, prompted by health concerns aroused by heart palpitations. Australia's Foreign Minister Penny Wong raised concerns with her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in a meeting last month about anonymous letters circulated in South Australia offering rewards for information about Hui and his family. The Australian Federal Police were investigating the matter, Hui said. "They call me to check on my safety and that of my family...," he said. "I can say the AFP is putting in a lot of effort." A police spokesman declined to comment. After Hui and his family arrived in 2021, 123 Hong Kong citizens have made asylum claims in Australia. Many more have taken up skilled visas under a program launched in 2021 for Hong Kong citizens to stay permanently, data shows. The home affairs department did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In a statement, the government of the former British colony said it was "against the harbouring of criminals in any form by any country".
