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[...] A coalition of 72 freedom of expression and human rights organisations [published] a letter to the UK’s Prime Minister, Sir Kier Starmer, urging him to secure the release of writer, media publisher and UK citizen Jimmy Lai.
Earlier this week, Jimmy Lai’s long-running national security trial resumed for closing arguments after being delayed twice last week due to poor weather and concerns over Jimmy Lai’s health, which has deteriorated significantly over the last year. Aged 77, Jimmy Lai has been held in solitary confinement for almost five years and faces a potential life sentence if convicted.
During yesterday’s closing arguments, a representative of Jimmy Lai’s defence team addressed the judges, stating ‘It is not wrong to support freedom of expression. It is not wrong to support human rights‘.
In the joint letter, led by Reporters Without Borders, the coalition calls on the UK government to act swiftly to secure Jimmy Lai’s humanitarian release on medical grounds, so he can be reunited with his family and receive necessary medical care.
For further background information on Jimmy Lai, please refer to the PEN International Case List.
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