A group of Catholic bishops has signed a letter calling on civil authorities in Hong Kong to release a prominent Catholic campaigner and businessman incarcerated for his “pro-democracy” stance.
The letter, which contained signatures from ten prelates, including two cardinals, from the UK, US, Lithuania, Nigeria and India, among others, demanded the release of Jimmy Lai, a prominent and successful Catholic layman, who is a known vocal critic of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP).
Jimmy Lai, 75, is a high-profile supporter of the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement, a writer, publisher, and owner of Apple Daily, once Hong Kong’s most popular independent Chinese-language newspaper, now forcibly closed by the authorities. He has been repeatedly targeted by the Chinese Communist Party and the Hong Kong SAR authorities since 1990 when he launched his media company, with a pro-democracy and anti-corruption focus.
Mr Lai has been in prison continuously since December 2020, following his arrest in August 2020.
Among the signatories of the letter are Bishop Robert Barron, an influential evangelist and apologist for the Faith who has millions of followers across media, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, and Bishop John Wilson of Southwark in South London.
The bishops decried Lai’s his detention as unjust, writing: “We, the undersigned, bishops of the Catholic Church, call on the Government of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region to immediately and unconditionally release Jimmy Lai…
“Mr. Lai’s persecution for supporting pro-democracy causes […] has gone on long enough.”
“In standing up for his beliefs and committing himself through his faith to challenge autocracy and repression, Jimmy Lai has lost his business, been cut off from his family, and has just surpassed 1,000 days in prison, while facing the prospect of many more years of incarceration to come,” state the bishops. “He is 75 years old. He must be freed now.”
The demands come in contrast to the Vatican’s approach to the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities, which have been described by Cardinal Zen– former Bishop of Hong Kong and an associate of Lai’s– as being akin to an appeasement campaign.
Before his incarceration, Jimmy Lai was a business magnate who gave generously to Catholic as well as pro-democracy causes.
Commenting on the petition, Jimmy Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, said:
“I’m very grateful and honoured to see Catholics and Catholic leaders from around the world speaking out on my father’s behalf and calling out for his release from unjust imprisonment.”
“My father’s faith and belief in right and wrong are key to understanding why my father stood up for democracy for the people of Hong Kong, despite the obvious dangers to his life. Even now, imprisoned at 75 years old, his faith is what keeps him strong; it is something the Hong Kong authorities can’t take away from him, having taken away so much else,” he added.
Lai, who had previously been invited to private audiences with US Vice-President Mike Pence and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, has recently been honoured with a number of accolades and awards including the 2020 Freedom of the Press awards.
He is now awaiting trial for sedition and charges under the controversial National Security Law (NSL). His trial is currently scheduled to begin on 18th December 2023, after repeated delays. If convicted, he faces a potential life sentence.
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