Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senators Jeff Merkley (D-OR) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK)—respectively the past and current Chairs of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China (CECC)—joined forces with John Curtis (R-UT), Tim Kaine (D-VA), Rick Scott (R-FL), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Todd Young (R-IN) to urge U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio to continue his advocacy to secure the release of Jimmy Lai, an entrepreneur and democracy advocate in Hong Kong who the Chinese government has wrongfully imprisoned for nearly five years.
“Jimmy Lai has been targeted because he used his newspaper, the Apple Daily, to expose Beijing’s efforts to crush dissent and dismantle the rule of law in Hong Kong. He gave voice to those silenced, challenged censorship, and revealed the truth. For this, he has been unjustly detained since 2020 and denied access to counsel, UK officials, and even his chaplain. As he said during his trial, ‘All I was doing was carrying a torch to the reality of what was happening in Hong Kong.’ His crime was journalism,” the bipartisan group of Senators wrote to Secretary Rubio.
Lai—a 77-year-old British citizen—currently awaits sentencing after a 156-day sham trial in Hong Kong under China’s draconian National Security Law. He suffers from diabetes and remains vulnerable in prison due to being kept in nearly continuous solitary confinement.
“China’s actions in Hong Kong are part of a broader campaign of oppression. The Chinese government has broken its promises to the people of Hong Kong, silenced a free press, jailed peaceful activists, and rewritten the city’s laws to consolidate its grip on power,” they emphasized. “The United States must be clear: Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong is unacceptable, and we will stand with those who risk everything to speak the truth.”
As past Chair of the CECC and a senior member of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Merkley has led the charge to highlight the cases of Lai and other pro-democracy advocates who have been the targets of the Chinese and Hong Kong governments’ crackdown on free speech and democracy. He held a hearing on political prisoners in Hong Kong, and threats and intimidation faced by Hong Kongers globally, which featured Sebastien Lai’s plea for the international community to advocate for his father’s release. Merkley, Sullivan, and Curtis also lead the Hong Kong Judicial Sanctions Act—legislation that holds officials of Hong Kong’s judiciary accountable for human rights violations and supports Hong Kongers facing persecution by the Chinese government and its accomplices in Hong Kong. In 2023, Merkley nominated Jimmy Lai for the Nobel Peace Prize.
The Senators concluded, “Beijing’s assault on Jimmy Lai is an assault on free expression and democracy. The United States must not look away. It is time to free Jimmy Lai.”
Full text of the letter can be found by clicking aquí y sigue a continuación:
Dear Secretary Rubio:
We write to express deep concern about the continued imprisonment of Jimmy Lai. As a Senator and as Secretary of State, you have been a strong advocate for Mr. Lai, and President Trump has said he will work to free Mr. Lai. We ask you work with Congress as you continue to push for Mr. Lai’s release.
Mr. Lai, a 77-year-old British citizen and publisher, awaits sentencing after a 156-day sham trial under China’s draconian Hong Kong National Security Law. After nearly five years in near- continuous solitary confinement, Mr. Lai’s health has deteriorated to an alarming degree. The situation is urgent.
Jimmy Lai has been targeted because he used his newspaper, the Apple Daily, to expose Beijing’s efforts to crush dissent and dismantle the rule of law in Hong Kong. He gave voice to those silenced, challenged censorship, and revealed the truth. For this, he has been unjustly detained since 2020 and denied access to counsel, UK officials, and even his chaplain. As he said during his trial, “All I was doing was carrying a torch to the reality of what was happening in Hong Kong.” His crime was journalism.
The charges against Mr. Lai are manufactured to punish him for exercising free expression. His latest indictment for “conspiracy to collude with foreign forces” carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, which at his age and condition would amount to a death sentence. In reality, his true offense is exposing the truth about Beijing’s repression.
Mr. Lai suffers from diabetes, a condition that requires proper medical care. Instead, he has been left vulnerable in prison, where he spends more than 23 hours a day in a “tiny airless cell” without natural sunlight.
China’s actions in Hong Kong are part of a broader campaign of oppression. The Chinese government has broken its promises to the people of Hong Kong, silenced a free press, jailed peaceful activists, and rewritten the city’s laws to consolidate its grip on power. The United States must be clear: Beijing’s crackdown in Hong Kong is unacceptable, and we will stand with those who risk everything to speak the truth.
Mr. Lai’s imprisonment has galvanized both Democrats and Republicans in the United States and sparked concern around the world, underscoring the need to act now.
As such, we urge you to marshal every diplomatic tool at your disposal, coordinate closely with the United Kingdom, and raise his case directly with Chinese officials at the highest levels. We also request a briefing from the State Department at the earliest possible opportunity, outlining the administration’s efforts to secure Mr. Lai’s release, including how you are working with the United Kingdom and pressing this case with China.
Beijing’s assault on Jimmy Lai is an assault on free expression and democracy. The United States must not look away. It is time to free Jimmy Lai.
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