UK – Reporters Without Borders, Sept. 08, 2025
Leaders of seven cross-party parliamentary groups have written to UK Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer urging him to meet Sebastien Lai, whose father, British publisher Jimmy Lai, is at increasing risk of dying in prison in Hong Kong. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) welcomes the letter and calls once again for Jimmy Lai to be immediately granted medical parole and allowed to rejoin his family in Britain.
“This letter demonstrates once again the breadth of political support for Jimmy Lai, whose prolonged trial and solitary confinement present a very real threat to his life. If securing Jimmy Lai’s freedom is truly a UK priority, as the government claims, then the prime minister must meet Sebastien without further delay. Jimmy Lai is an innocent man, arbitrarily detained. His son deserves to hear first-hand what the government is doing to ensure he does not die in prison. Fiona O’Brien, RSF UK Director
Sebastien Lai has been seeking a meeting with Starmer for more than two years. In their letter to the prime minister, chairs and vice-chairs of seven All-Party Parliamentary Groups (APPGs) express their concern about 77-year-old Jimmy Lai’s health, and the impact of more than 1,700 days in solitary confinement.
