Trump feels bad over Jimmy Lai conviction
"I feel so badly," Trump told reporters at the White House.
He added that he had discussed the situation with Chinese President Xi Jinping, urging consideration for Lai’s release. "I spoke to President Xi about it, and I asked (him) to consider his release. He's not well; he's an older man, and he's not well. So I did put that request out. We'll see what happens," Trump said.
The US State Department also reiterated concerns, calling on Beijing “to bring this ordeal to an end as soon as possible and to release Mr. Lai on humanitarian grounds.”
"The guilty verdict in Mr. Lai’s national security case reflects the enforcement of Beijing’s laws to silence those who seek to protect freedom of speech and other fundamental rights—rights that China pledged to uphold in the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration. Mr. Lai is not alone in facing punishment for defending these rights," the statement added.
The 78-year-old businessman, who holds British citizenship, was convicted on all three charges he faced, including "conspiring to collude with foreign forces" and sedition under colonial-era laws. He faces a potential life sentence, with a four-day mitigation hearing scheduled to begin on January 12.
Lai was first detained in 2020 under Hong Kong’s National Security Law, which was enacted in the aftermath of anti-government protests the year prior.
Legal Disclaimer:
MENAFN provides the
information “as is” without warranty of any kind. We do not accept
any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images,
videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information
contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright
issues related to this article, kindly contact the provider above.
Legal Disclaimer:
EIN Presswire provides this news content "as is" without warranty of any kind. We do not accept any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, content, images, videos, licenses, completeness, legality, or reliability of the information contained in this article. If you have any complaints or copyright issues related to this article, kindly contact the author above.
