Washington D.C. – Fortify Rights, Jan 22, 2026
Rights groups urge U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer to prioritize human rights agenda during China visit
British Prime Minister Keir Starmer should prioritize human rights in his discussions with China’s President Xi Jinping and other government officials during his expected forthcoming visit to Beijing, Fortify Rights and 18 other human rights organizations said in a joint letter to the Prime Minister today. In particular, the Prime Minister should seek the immediate release of 78-year-old British citizen, media entrepreneur, and pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai, who has spent the past five years in solitary confinement in prison in Hong Kong and faces the possibility of dying in jail.
“The British Prime Minister has a responsibility to do everything possible to secure the release of British citizen Jimmy Lai,” said Fortify Rights Senior Director Benedict Rogers. “Given Jimmy Lai’s age and failing health, there are serious fears that he may die in jail. Keir Starmer should make Jimmy Lai’s case a top priority during his visit to Beijing. He should set clear, robust, and practical consequences for China—and for U.K.-China relations—if Jimmy Lai is not released.”
Hong Kong authorities arrested Jimmy Lai on August 10, 2020, and on December 15, 2025, a Hong Kong court convicted him of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces in violation of Hong Kong’s draconian national security law and conspiracy to publish seditious material in violation of the Crimes Ordinance. He now faces a potential life sentence for his peaceful exercise of fundamental rights, including the right to freedom of expression.
“We strongly believe that promoting human rights, rather than solely focusing on trade, would be consistent with a clear defense of Britain’s values and national interests,” the letter states.
The joint letter, released following the United Kingdom’s approval of a controversial new Chinese mega-embassy in London, urges the Prime Minister to raise China’s escalating repression in Hong Kong, Tibet, the Uyghur region, as well as violations of freedom of religion or belief across China. The signatories also advocate for the Prime Minister to address credible allegations of forced organ harvesting from prisoners of conscience.
