Jimmy Lai’s children call on world leaders to intervene as the jailed Hong Kong pro-democracy activist faces a 20-year prison sentence
Newsroom (10/02/2026 Gaudium Press ) The family of Hong Kong media mogul and pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai is calling on world leaders to intervene after a Hong Kong high court sentenced him to 20 years in prison. Lai’s children, Claire and Sebastien Lai, expressed a mix of anguish and determination during a February 9 press conference, emphasizing their father’s fragile health and their push for an international diplomatic solution.
“The life expectancy of the average male in Hong Kong is 83. My father was handed a 20-year sentence. He is five years from 83,” Claire Lai said. “Just looking at this objectively, this has to be solved, sovereign to sovereign.”
Lai, the founder and publisher of the now-defunct pro-democracy tabloid Apple Daily, received the decades-long sentence on February 9 following a national security trial that international observers and human rights groups have described as politically motivated.
A Symbol of Defiance
Sebastien Lai described the sentencing as “horrible,” even though the outcome was largely anticipated. “Even though you expect this sentence to come, you’re still devastated by it,” he said. The 20-year term, he added, is “essentially tantamount to a life sentence or a death sentence” given his father’s age and deteriorating health.
At the sentencing, Sebastien said, Jimmy Lai remained composed. “He smiled almost as an act of defiance to the horrible people who are doing horrible things,” he said. Referring to Apple Daily’s first edition, Sebastien recalled a defining quote: “Are we not afraid of the handover in 1997? Of course, we’re afraid, but we refuse to be intimidated by fear.”
“My father has always refused to be intimidated by fear,” Sebastien continued. “He gave his all for his beliefs, for freedom, for democracy, for the people of Hong Kong, until there was no more to give.”
Faith and Endurance
Claire Lai echoed her brother’s remarks, describing how her father’s faith continues to sustain him through imprisonment. “If you live always deterred by fear, you don’t really live at all,” she said. “But my father, he always knew that. He always trusted in divine providence from the very first day of his arrest.”
Jimmy Lai, who has been detained since 2020 under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law, has long been a symbol of resistance to Beijing’s tightening control over the city. His case has become a rallying point for advocates of press freedom and democracy worldwide.
Diplomatic Channels and Political Hope
With domestic legal avenues nearly exhausted, the Lai family is turning to international diplomacy for a solution. “We’re hopeful that now that the sentence is in, we can move on to hopefully a political, diplomatic solution for his release,” Claire said in an interview with EWTN News Nightly.
Sebastien noted that former U.S. President Donald Trump “has said multiple times that this is a case that he cares about” and that the issue has already been brought up in discussions with Chinese President Xi Jinping. Trump is expected to visit China in April, a trip the family describes as “crucial” for their father’s future.
Mounting Concerns Over Health and Prison Conditions
Claire Lai voiced deep concern about her father’s declining health, citing diabetes, poor eyesight, hearing loss, heart problems, and recurring infections. “We are extremely worried,” she said, adding that prison conditions are aggravating his condition. “He doesn’t have any access to natural sunlight. He doesn’t have any access to fresh air.”
Despite his frailty, Claire said her father continues to draw strength from his faith and the global support surrounding his case. “He’s sustained by prayers,” she said, expressing gratitude for the outpouring of solidarity from both sides of the political aisle in the U.K. and U.S.
A Call for Justice
As the family presses for international intervention, Jimmy Lai remains one of the most prominent figures in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement behind bars. Once a publishing magnate known for defying Beijing’s influence, Lai now faces what his children describe as a near-lifetime sentence for his convictions.
“The system is broken,” Claire said. “That’s why we have to look for another solution.”
Their father’s perseverance, they insist, remains a powerful moral beacon amid Hong Kong’s rapidly eroding freedoms — and a reminder, as Sebastien put it, that courage often means refusing to be intimidated by fear.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from CNA
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