Sebastian Lai discusses his father Jimmy Lai’s ongoing trial, health struggles, and unyielding faith in an exclusive interview, highlighting Hong Kong’s judicial crisis.
Newsroom (27/10/2025, Gaudium Press ) In a quiet corner of Milan, Sebastian Lai stands resolute, accepting the “Fatti per la verità” award on behalf of his father, Jimmy Lai, the imprisoned Catholic businessman and founder of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily. The award, presented by the Italian news website La Nuova Bussola Quotidiano, honors Jimmy Lai’s unwavering commitment to truth and freedom. Now, nearly six years after his father’s arrest under Hong Kong’s National Security Law, Sebastian Lai speaks with AsiaNews about a trial mired in delays, his father’s deteriorating health, and a faith that refuses to break.
AsiaNews: The trial against your father, Jimmy Lai, began in 2023, promised to last 90 days. It’s now late 2025, and there’s still no verdict. What’s happening?
Sebastian Lai: This affair has dragged on for almost six years—accusations, an arrest on national security grounds, a trial that only started in 2023. Meanwhile, he’s faced sham convictions just to keep him locked up. The main issue is this trial under the National Security Law. The delays are staggering, but it’s more than that—it’s a charade. Take Andy Lee, a former collaborator who testified against my father after being tortured. Those accusations, widely reported internationally, haven’t even been investigated. They can’t be, because the state he testified for is the one that tortured him.
AsiaNews: You’ve raised serious concerns about your father’s health. He’s 78 and diabetic. How is he holding up?
Sebastian Lai: It’s like holding your breath. He’s in solitary confinement, without natural light, in horrific conditions. Considering his age and diabetes, it’s deeply worrying. We’ve researched diabetic prisoners over 65 in Hong Kong’s prison system—the results are alarming. Many have died in detention. Our fear for his life is grounded in real data.
AsiaNews: Does he receive visitors?
Sebastian Lai: He’s allowed visitors four times a month. During court appearances, people could see him, though it was dehumanizing—strip searches before every hearing. But at least we could see how much weight he’s lost, his condition.
AsiaNews: Can he practice his Catholic faith in prison?
Sebastian Lai: He prays and makes drawings about Jesus’ life, though his eyesight and strength are fading. He’s in solitary, so he can’t attend Mass. Until recently, he couldn’t even receive the Eucharist. It’s all designed to break his spirit, but his faith remains strong. He knows he did the right thing.
AsiaNews: Your mother, Teresa, met Pope Leo XIV last week. What was that like?
Sebastian Lai: It was after a general audience—a handshake, a blessing. We believe the Pope understands the situation, and we’re grateful for the Church’s prayers and support. It gave my mother strength. Seeing her husband waste away, knowing he’s in the right, is excruciating. The Pope’s support, and that of so many Catholics, is a gift. We hope it builds a network to secure his release.
AsiaNews: The verdict, when it comes, is expected to be harsh. What do you hope for afterward?
Sebastian Lai: It’ll likely be guilty—everything points that way. My father is almost 80, a man of peace who fought for democracy, not violence or extremism. I hope for compassion, a chance for him to leave Hong Kong and live out his days elsewhere, not die in prison. His death there would be a blow to Hong Kong, China, and beyond.
AsiaNews: He’s accused of “collusion with foreign forces.” Your response?
Sebastian Lai: It’s madness. “Collusion” implies illicit gain. My father’s only “gain” after 30 years of fighting was the hope of democracy—a vote, like anyone else in Hong Kong. He spoke openly to journalists, politicians, at public meetings. It was activism, civic engagement, and it was right.
AsiaNews: President Trump meets Xi Jinping on October 30. Will he raise your father’s case?
Sebastian Lai: He’s said publicly he will, and I hope he does. His track record of freeing unjustly imprisoned people gives us hope.
AsiaNews: Has Beijing’s crackdown succeeded in Hong Kong?
Sebastian Lai: Hong Kong is repressed, but at what cost? Trust is gone. The economy’s in shambles, the stock market propped up artificially. Hong Kong was a financial hub built on trust. Now, if you can’t trust the justice system, if speaking out lands you in prison, people leave—especially the young. I haven’t been back in six years. It’s heartbreaking to see my home destroyed.
AsiaNews: Has the UK, where your father is a citizen, done enough?
Sebastian Lai: China violated the Joint Declaration. The UK has welcomed Hong Kongers, which is positive, but my father’s still in prison. As a British citizen, he deserves more. It’s not complicated—two hours to put him on a plane to the UK. The British government is on our side, but we need action, not just words, to build a freer future.
AsiaNews: How is your father remembered in Hong Kong today?
Sebastian Lai: When he was arrested, people lined up for Apple Daily. One said, “I’d buy it even if it were blank.” That says it all—the courage he and his journalists showed. He was never loved by elites because he spoke truth to power. I hope Hong Kongers value his sacrifice. Many outside Hong Kong have thanked me for his work.
AsiaNews: What has your father’s experience taught you?
Sebastian Lai: It’s inspiring. He rose from factory worker to one of Hong Kong’s richest men but saw freedom as more valuable than wealth. When advised to leave, he stayed to protect his journalists. I’m immensely proud—he’s my hero, and I believe he’s a hero to many. His life taught me my duty to society and my beliefs.
Sebastian Lai’s voice carries both pain and resolve, a son fighting for a father who remains a symbol of defiance against oppression. As the world watches, the question lingers: will justice, or compassion, prevail for Jimmy Lai?
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Asianews.it
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