‘My father stayed to defend his people’: Jimmy Lai’s son condemns ‘show trial’ in Hong Kong

As pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai faces a imaginable beingness condemnation successful the high-stakes nationalist information case successful Hong Kong, his lad Sebastien Lai has denounced the proceedings arsenic a politically motivated "show trial" driven by a China-led crackdown connected dissent.

Lai, the laminitis of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, is facing charges of conspiracy to collude with overseas forces and publishing seditious materials, each of which are crimes nether Hong Kong’s arguable nationalist information law, which was imposed by Beijing. Lai denies each the charges.

Sebastien paints a harrowing representation of his father’s ordeal – years of detention nether dire conditions – and underscores his unwavering committedness to democracy, property freedom, and the radical of Hong Kong successful an interrogation with The Independent.

Condemning his father’s ongoing prosecution, Sebastien says that the 77-year-old media tycoon should ne'er person been arrested. “The proceedings shouldn’t adjacent beryllium happening. He shouldn’t person been arrested successful the archetypal place,” helium says.

Introduced successful 2020, the instrumentality marked a turning constituent successful the city’s pro-democracy movement, coming a twelvemonth aft grassroots-led protests against Beijing’s expanding power erupted successful 2019. Sparked by a arguable extradition bill, the protests saw hundreds of thousands march successful defiance, with immoderate demonstrators vowing to combat to the decease for democracy.

Prominent figures similar Joshua Wong and Agnes Chow became faces of the movement, but the crackdown that followed the protests led to wide arrests and the exile of galore activists. On Tuesday, Wong was among 45 pro-democracy activists sentenced to up to 10 years successful situation nether the nationalist information law.

Lai was different salient people of Beijing’s clampdown. His newspaper, known for its captious sum and pro-democracy stance, became a lightning rod for the Chinese government’s ire during the protests.

In August 2020, 200 constabulary officers raided Apple Daily’s offices and arrested Lai. Less than a twelvemonth later, successful June 2021, a 2nd raid involving hundreds of officers led to the arrests of 5 executives, including the editor-in-chief and CEO. A week later, the insubstantial ceased publication.

“Jimmy Lai is the main mastermind and perpetrator down the bid of riots that shook Hong Kong. He is an cause and henchman of those hostile to China,” Lin Jian, a Chinese overseas ministry spokesperson, declared during a property briefing successful Beijing.

Now successful custody for much 1,400 days, Lai faces 3 charges: 2 counts of conspiracy to collude with overseas forces and 1 of sedition. He has pleaded not blameworthy to each charges. If convicted, helium faces a beingness sentence. Lai has already been sentenced to 5 years and 9 months successful situation for a abstracted fraud lawsuit linked to Apple Daily.

Sebastien calls the lawsuit politically motivated, designed to soundlessness his father’s pro-democracy dependable and the broader state of code question successful Hong Kong.

“Raising interest to an elected authoritative overseas is not a collusion,” helium said, erstwhile asked astir Lai’s gathering successful 2019 with the then-US vice president Mike Pence and caput of authorities Mike Pompeo to sermon the governmental situation successful Hong Kong.

“Collusion suggests that there’s immoderate nefarious benefit. That is what you ‘collude for’ right? And successful my father’s case, the biggest stretch, and I mean, the lone agelong you tin marque is this – that the payment was democracy,” helium says, calling the charges “insane”.

Sebastien raises concerns astir his father’s wellness arsenic helium recounts the torment endured during solitary confinement.

"The extremity of solitary confinement is to interruption the person," helium says. "He’s been kept successful horrible situation conditions ... nary earthy light, and the thought is to interruption him – physically, mentally, and spiritually.

"That’s a level of isolation beyond what is legally acceptable. It’s not looking bully for him physically," helium says.

At his property and with pre-existing wellness conditions similar diabetes, Lai is frail. "Physically, helium is not doing excessively well," his lad admits. "He’s got backmost problems, diabetes. It’s a cocktail that doesn’t bode good for one’s health."

Despite the toll, helium says determination is simply a bittersweet comfortableness successful knowing his father’s intelligence and spiritual resilience remains intact. “I saw the testamony with everybody other connected Twitter, but helium seemed to beryllium doing good mentally – inactive precise sharp. His grounds was strong,” helium shared.

"He’s committed to journalism and to the value of journalism successful Hong Kong."

During the trial, Lai denied allegations that helium had sought overseas involution successful Hong Kong’s affairs. Specifically, helium rejected claims that helium had tried to power US officials, including Pence and Pompeo, to enactment Hong Kong’s ideology protests. "I would not situation to inquire the vice-president to bash anything," Lai testified successful court.

He described his interactions with these officials arsenic simply relaying accusation astir the concern successful Hong Kong. In a lawsuit that has drawn planetary attention, diplomats from the US, UK, Germany, France, Australia, Switzerland, and Ireland attended the tribunal successful enactment of Lai, with galore Western nations having denounced the charges against Lai and his trial. The United Nations’ Working Group connected Arbitrary Detention precocious called for his contiguous release, echoing concerns that the proceedings is simply a usurpation of his rights.

The lawsuit comes amid a wider crackdown connected dissent successful Hong Kong, with 45 activists precocious sentenced successful different lawsuit nether National Security Law. Critics, including quality rights organisations and Western governments, reason that Lai’s prosecution is portion of a systematic effort by Beijing to erase dissent and suppress the property successful Hong Kong.

Yet, contempt all, Lai’s committedness to Hong Kong’s ideology remains unshaken, his lad says. "He knew helium was a people from the commencement ... but helium stayed to support his people. He made the close choice."

"My begetter is simply a profoundly faithful man. It gives him tremendous strength. I deliberation what keeps him going is knowing helium did the close thing." Sebastien urges radical to "say a supplication for him".

"If a antheral who fought for state for the past 30 years deserves anything, it’s to beryllium escaped immediately," helium says.