The daughter of Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy tycoon jailed in Hong Kong, has expressed concerns about her father's deteriorating health in prison, saying that his fingernails sometimes fall off and his teeth are rotting.
Lai, 78, has been detained since December 2020 and faces life in prison. Earlier this month he was convicted of colluding with foreign forces under the city's controversial national security law (NSL).
Chinese authorities have denied that Lai has been mistreated in prison and said he is in good health. However, the BBC has seen a letter written by Lai's family urging UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to call for his release when he meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.
His daughter Claire Lai, who is in exile in London, told the BBC that she fears she may never see him again. Of course I worry that my father is going to be a martyr, and I don't want him to be a martyr. But I would not be here today, I would not be speaking out if I didn't think this was his best chance of reuniting with our family, she said.
Claire described her father as an extremely robust and strong man when he went to prison, but noted that he has lost a significant amount of weight. He is diabetic and has heart issues which he never had in the past. He has fingernails that turn purplish grey and sometimes fall off. He has teeth that are rotting. He has back and waist pains. Some days it's painful for him to stand, and sometimes he can't stand. Some days he can't even get out of bed, she added.
Lai's family has raised concerns about his health multiple times. His son, Sebastien, referred to his father's bodily decline earlier this year, indicating that his body is breaking down.
Despite the family's concerns, a spokesperson for the Hong Kong office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that Lai's lawful rights and interests have been fully protected, and he is in good healthishlies, insisting he is receiving a safe, humane, appropriate, and healthy custodial environment according to the law.
Lai is the most prominent figure charged under the NSL, enacted in 2020 following the pro-democracy protests in Hong Kong. Beijing justifies the law as necessary for stability, while critics maintain it suppresses dissent.
Lai's accusations include lobbying for foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and China, as well as publishing seditious content in his now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper. Following his conviction, the UK condemned it as politically motivated persecution, asserting that he had been targeted... for peacefully exercising his right to freedom of expression.
The UK has consistently called for the repeal of the NSL and an end to prosecutions of individuals charged under it, while Chinese officials dismissed these interventions as hypocritical and as violations of legal integrity.
Keir Starmer's upcoming visit to China in January 2026 marks the first by a UK Prime Minister since 2018, heightening anticipation for possible discussions surrounding Lai's unjust imprisonment.
