Washington D.C. – AP, Dec. 16, 2025
Jimmy Lai, a pro-democracy former Hong Kong media mogul who has come to symbolize defiance to Beijing, would devote himself to God and his family rather than political activism if he were released, his daughter said Monday after he was convicted in a national security case.
Claire Lai made an appeal for her 78-year-old father’s freedom following the verdict in Hong Kong stemming from his political advocacy. He now faces the possibility of spending the rest of his life behind bars.
“He just wants to reunite with his family. He wants to dedicate his life to serving our Lord, and he wants to dedicate the rest of his days to his family,” she told The Associated Press in an interview in Washington. “My father is fundamentally not a man who operates on illegal ground.”
Her words, echoing an op-ed she wrote this month in The Washington Post saying her father’s “crusading days are over,” come as the legal process is nearing the end. This paves the way for a possible diplomatic solution between Beijing and Western governments, especially the White House.
