Sebastian Lai, the son of Jimmy Lai, a former media tycoon from Hong Kong who has been sentenced to prison, called for his father's release during a congressional session in Washington. This request was made one week before Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit to the United States.
Request for release based on humanitarian principles
Sebastian Lai requested his father's release based on humanitarian principles during the China Congressional-Executive Commission session. Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison in February for violating the national security law imposed by Beijing.
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Zain's plea for her husband
On the same day, Silvie Zain, the wife of Min Zain, an American researcher who has been detained in China for over three months, made a plea for help for her husband's release in front of a House Foreign Affairs subcommittee. She hopes that President Trump will address her husband's case during the upcoming meeting with Xi Jinping.
Min Zain is one of two American citizens that the U.S. State Department considers wrongfully detained in China. The other case is Yulin Chen, an American-Chinese seismologist who has been detained in China for nearly two years. These two cases are considered high diplomatic priorities for the U.S. government.
President Trump secured the release of Pastor Ezra Jin Mingri in May after meeting with Xi Jinping, and he also mentioned Jimmy Lai's case but called it a difficult one.
Sebastian Lai added, "Let Jimmy Lai come home and be with his daughter during the toughest moments." He described his father as a 78-year-old man who has suffered enough.
Jimmy Lai, a prominent critic of Beijing, founded a pro-democracy newspaper that was shut down following the crackdown on anti-government protests in 2019. Sebastian Lai further stated, "At the age of 78, he is the oldest political prisoner in Hong Kong, and if he is not released soon, he will likely die in prison."
Xi and Trump are scheduled to meet in Washington on September 24. This will be Xi's first visit to Washington in over a decade. He last traveled to the United States in 2023.
Claire Lai, Jimmy Lai's daughter, was not present at the session due to a cancer diagnosis. Her brother stated that she began chemotherapy last week in London.
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Source: independent.co.uk
