Niagara-on-the-Lake mayor, Ontario family of jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai call for his release

Jimmy Lai walks through the Stanley prison in Hong Kong, Friday, July 28, 2023. The Associated Press got a rare glimpse of the jailed 75-year-old publisher and prominent pro-democracy activist Lai. (AP Photo/Louise Delmotte)

As foreign ministers meet in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ont., for the G7 summit, the family of Jimmy Lai, a former resident and prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy publisher, is calling for his release from an overseas prison.

The Hong Kong and British tycoon was arrested in 2020 on national security charges under a law that was established after widespread anti-government protests in the former British colony.

He’s charged with colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security and conspiring with others to issue seditious publications. As he awaits his sentence — which could range from three years to life in prison—Lai has been in jail for more than 1,700 days, most of which have been spent in solitary confinement, according to his family.

“My uncle’s health is failing. He is 78 with diabetes and in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day,” Lai’s niece, Erica Lepp, told CTV News Toronto in a statement.

“Today we had a peaceful rally in NOTL with many members of our community coming out to show support for my Uncle, headed by our local Amnesty International chapter. I was grateful to be able to share with the crowd that my Uncle loves Canada, loves this community, and since I was a child his only advice is to always lead with love. He is a peaceful man who could have left, but chose to stay. Hong Kong gave him his freedom!”

Lepp said that Lai called Niagara-on-the-Lake his “Canadian” home. His roots can still be seen throughout the popular tourist destination by way of his family’s ownership of the Vintage Hotels footprint in the town.

During his trial, which wrapped in August and stretched nearly 160 days, prosecutors argued that Lai had asked foreign countries, especially the United States, to take actions against Beijing “under the guise of fighting for freedom and democracy.” Hong Kong was returned to China in 1997.

Lai had met with former U.S. Vice President Mike Pence and then Secretary of State Mike Pompeo in 2019 to discuss an extradition bill that sparked the months-long protests in Hong Kong before it was withdrawn. Lai has denied that he asked either U.S. official to take any action against Hong Kong or China.

U.S. President Donald Trump has previously weighed in on the case, and reportedly raised the issue with Chinese President Xi Jinping during a summit in South Korea earlier this month. “I’m going to do everything I can to save him,” Trump told Fox News Radio in an interview in August.

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer also said last year that Lai’s release is a “priority” for his government.

At an unrelated news conference in October, Prime Minister Mark Carney was asked about Lai’s situation.

He said: “We support the freedom of the press and we would urge the release of Mr. Lai.”

Opposition parties have urged the federal Liberals to grant Lai with honorary Canadian citizenship.

Niagara-on-the-Lake mayor pens letter to foreign affairs minister

In an open letter published earlier this month, Niagara-on-the-Lake Lord Mayor Gary Zalepa called for Lai’s release, highlighting his social activism and local investments.

“Mr. Lai is internationally recognized as a global leader in advancing democracy and freedom of the press. His unwavering commitment to truth and justice, and his courage in defending them, have earned him deep respect across the world,” Zalepa wrote.

“In Niagara-on-the-Lake, Mr. Lai and his family have made a lasting contribution to our community. Through their establishment of Vintage Inns, they have strengthened the local economy, created meaningful employment opportunities, and revitalized key heritage properties that attract visitors and sustain local businesses.”

Zalepa said that he’s written a letter to Foreign Affairs Minister Anita Anand advocating for Lai’s release. CTV News Toronto has reached out to Anand’s office for a comment on Lai’s situation but has not received a response.

With files from Reuters, The Associated Press, and The Canadian Press