Jimmy Lai's Health Deteriorates in Solitary Confinement; Family Alarmed, Seeks Global Support for Jailed Hong Kong Media Mogul

Family Alarmed as Jimmy Lai's Health Plummets in Hong Kong Solitary Confinement

The family of revered Hong Kong pro-democracy media titan Jimmy Lai has issued a renewed and urgent plea, highlighting a severe decline in his health. Lai, who is slated to turn 78 on December 8, has been imprisoned since late 2020 as part of Beijing's escalating crackdown on the financial hub, which was once guaranteed a separate governance system under the 1997 handover from Britain.

Grim Details of Detention Conditions Emerge

Lai's children, Claire and Sebastien, have painted a grim picture of their father's conditions. A diabetic, Lai is reportedly held in solitary confinement without air conditioning, enduring summer temperatures that soared to an oppressive 44 degrees Celsius within the facility. Claire Lai, who departed Hong Kong following a visit to her father months prior, revealed his significant and visible weight loss, noting he is "a lot weaker than he was before." Disturbingly, she described his nails turning "almost purple, gray and greenish before they fall off," alongside deteriorating dental health.

"Petty" Tactics and Denial of Communion

During a recent visit to Washington, where the family is actively campaigning for international support, Claire Lai also detailed instances of what she termed "extremely petty" and demoralizing actions by guards. A devout Catholic, Lai has allegedly been denied communion. Furthermore, after guards discovered his fondness for curry sauce, his ration was not merely withheld but completely removed, a small but impactful gesture designed to undermine his spirit.

Calls for International Intervention

Jimmy Lai, a successful entrepreneur, founded the widely influential and outspoken pro-democracy tabloid, Apple Daily. He currently faces a potential sentence of at least 15 years in prison for charges of foreign collusion, linked to the widespread pro-democracy protests that swept Hong Kong in 2019. Many view this lengthy sentence as effectively a death sentence given his age and health.

His son, Sebastien Lai, a British national like his father, voiced a desperate hope that both current US President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer would continue to press China on his father's case. Sebastien proposed a swift and humane resolution: "It will take two hours to put my father on a plane and send him away," he asserted, adding, "It'll be the humane thing to do; it'll be the right thing to do. They've already put him through this hell." The family's urgent appeal underscores the profound concern for Lai's well-being and a hope for a merciful intervention.