Overview
- Sebastien Lai told the Congressional‑Executive Commission on China on Wednesday that his father should be released on compassionate grounds because of his age and health risks.
- Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Hong Kong court in February under the national security law that Beijing imposed after 2019 protests.
- Sebastien said his sister Claire could not attend because she was diagnosed with cancer and began chemotherapy in London last week.
- U.S. lawmakers and experts at the hearing called Lai’s sentence a humanitarian injustice and highlighted the case as evidence of shrinking press freedom and judicial independence in Hong Kong.
- The testimony increases public scrutiny of Lai’s case as President Trump and Xi Jinping prepare to meet in Washington on Sept. 24, and families and campaigners say they hope diplomatic pressure could win releases in individual cases.