A leading press freedom group has urged Hong Kong authorities to release pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai considering his deteriorating health.
The 77-year-old British national and founder of the now-shuttered Apple Daily newspaper is facing the prospect of life in prison if found guilty of sedition and collusion with foreign powers under Hong Kong’s national security law.
He has pleaded not guilty to the charges.
Lai has been in prison for nearly six years for his role in the pro-democracy protests of 2019 which led to Beijing imposing the national security law in the city.
Reporters Without Borders said in a statement that Lai’s health had deteriorated after being in solitary confinement since 2021. The watchdog said the media tycoon had been restricted to just 50 minutes of “exercise” per day, with barely any access to natural light.
The millionaire’s son, Sebastien Lai, claimed last year that his father, who suffers from diabetes, had lost a significant amount of weight and that he had been denied independent medical care.
A Hong Kong court will begin hearing closing arguments in Lai’s national security trial on 14 August.
The trial began in December 2023 and was originally scheduled to last 80 days, the rights group said.
“Since his arrest, Jimmy Lai has been subjected to inhumane conditions, stripped of every shred of dignity and freedom,” said Antoine Bernard of Reporters without Borders.
“His treatment exposes the authorities’ ruthless determination to silence and suppress one of the most prominent advocates for press freedom amid Hong Kong’s rapidly deteriorating media landscape. With his trial nearing its conclusion, the international community must urgently act to secure the immediate release of Lai and six other Apple Daily staff members.”
Sebastien Lai said his father was being treated inhumanely in prison but he remained “defiant and strong”.
The son had written to Keir Starmer earlier this year seeking a meeting with the prime minister to discuss his father’s condition.
“It is ridiculous that in his display of bravery, the prime minister will not meet with me,” he told The Independent.
He said Donald Trump’s presidency had given him a lot of hope about his father’s release. “But at the end of the day, it is a joint effort,” he said, urging Sir Keir to do more to help free his father.
Mr Trump claimed last year that he would “100 per cent” get Lai out of jail.
Hong Kong is ranked 140th in the 2025 World Press Freedom Index compiled by Reporters without Borders.
