Overview
- His children told AFP he has lost significant weight, with rotting teeth and nails falling out, and that he appears markedly weaker.
- The family says he has been kept nearly four years in solitary confinement without air conditioning, with summer cell temperatures reaching about 44C.
- His daughter says guards refused him Catholic communion and made petty efforts to demoralize him, including withholding curry sauce he likes.
- Hong Kong authorities rejected the accounts as misleading and said Lai’s medical care in custody is adequate and comprehensive.
- Lai has pleaded not guilty to sedition and foreign collusion; earlier health concerns delayed August closing arguments and led to a heart monitor, as his family urges leaders including President Donald Trump and UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to press for his release.