Jimmy Lai’s son Sebastien Lai asks Trump to tell Xi the prison sentence is a ‘mistake,’ warns ‘if he dies...’

Sebastien Lai, the son of jailed Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai, has called on US President Donald Trump to talk to his Chinese counterpart Xi Jinping, saying his father’s 20-year prison sentence is a "mistake" and potentially fatal given his age and health. Speaking in London on Monday, Sebastien said he hoped diplomatic pressure from Washington could persuade Chinese President Xi Jinping to reconsider the case of the 78-year-old pro-democracy figure.

Trump can tell Xi it's a 'mistake'

"The president interceding in my father's case will show Xi Jinping how much of a mistake it is, the persecution of my father," Sebastien Lai said. Talking to AFP, he warned that continued imprisonment could have serious consequences, both for his father’s health and for China’s global image.

"If he dies, many countries will be rightfully outraged," he said, adding that there was "no upside" to what authorities were doing.

Trump had previously promised during his election campaign to work toward securing Lai’s release.

Jimmy Lai sentenced to 20 years in prison

78-year-old Jimmy Lai, the founder of the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, on Monday (Feb 9) was convicted under Hong Kong’s national security law, which Beijing imposed in 2020 following massive anti-government protests in the financial hub. Authorities accused him of colluding with foreign forces, charges his family and supporters strongly reject.

Sebastien described the sentence as effectively a "death sentence" for his father, who has faced multiple health issues in recent years. He also criticised Hong Kong authorities for what he called a politically motivated prosecution.

"The Hong Kong government has essentially decided to destroy their greatest asset -- their legal system -- in order to vindictively go after my father," he said, insisting Jimmy Lai has "committed no crime"

He is "a man who over the last few years and multiple show trials where they have found nothing -- the only thing they came up with is this vague idea of colluding with foreign forces," added Sebastien.