Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai's health is declining as verdict nears, family says

"The children of imprisoned Hong Kong media mogul Jimmy Lai - one of the most high-profile figures charged after Beijing's 2020 overhaul of the city's legal system - say his health continues to deteriorate since his trial ended in August and are pushing U.S. and U.K. authorities to secure his release before a looming verdict that could impose a de facto death sentence."

"Lai - the 77 year-old former publisher of the Hong Kong-based news outlet Apple Daily - was imprisoned in 2020 after Beijing imposed a hard-line national security law allowing authorities to charge activists and other pro-democracy figures with offenses deemed seditious to the central government. The law effectively silenced independent media, including Apple Daily, which had reported openly on the legislation that brought millions of Hong Kongersinto the streets in protest in 2019 and 2020."

"His children say his health deteriorated sharply over the course of his 160-day trial, which ended in August, noting he has lost significant weight, is experiencing heart problems and is not receiving proper medical care in detention. His daughter, Claire Lai, was able to visit him in prison before she left Hong Kong to advocate for him abroad. She says she is unable to return now because of concerns that meetings with foreign lawmakers and other advocates could result in her facing similar charges as her father."

Jimmy Lai's health has deteriorated since his trial ended in August, with significant weight loss, heart problems and inadequate medical care in detention. His children are urging U.S. and U.K. authorities to secure his release ahead of a looming verdict that could amount to a de facto death sentence. Dozens of U.S. lawmakers have called for his release, and President Trump reportedly raised the case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, though the matter remains delicate amid efforts to preserve a fragile détente. Lai, 77, was jailed in 2020 after a hard-line national security law enabled charges against pro-democracy figures and independent media. Every person tried under the law has been convicted, and a guilty verdict could mean life imprisonment.

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