It came after the Commission wrote to British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak on Wednesday urging him to “publicly make the release of Jimmy Lai and other political prisoners in Hong Kong a priority.” It followed remarks by Lai’s son, Sebastien Lai, who said at a CECC hearing last month that London had not publicly condemned the mogul’s detention.
Lai, 75, who has been remanded in custody since December 2020, is currently facing trial under the Beijing-imposed national security law and the colonial-era sedition law.
The media tycoon, a British citizen, stands accused of two counts of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces and one count of collusion with foreign forces. He was also charged under the sedition law over allegedly seditious publications.
‘Coordinate actions’
In its letter to Sunak, the CECC called on the UK to “coordinate actions with the US Government” by making a joint sanctions announcement for Hong Kong officials, prosecutors, and judges, advocating a UN Human Rights Council resolution to condemn political detention in Hong Kong, and requesting a UN Security Council briefing on the security law.
The Commission also urged London to ensure citizens’ protection from the security law by suspending extradition agreements, warning companies operating in Hong Kong of national security risks, and taking action against financial institutions “complicit in the expropriation of assets under the guise of national security.”
The local government, in its Thursday statement, “strongly opposed” the CECC’s letter, as “interfering in judicial proceedings” in Lai’s court case, as it “vehemently condemned” the Commission’s calls for sanctions.
Read more at https://hongkongfp.com/2023/06/09/jimmy-lai-case-us-lawmakers-urge-uk-to-help-sanction-hong-kong-judges-as-city-govt-slams-interference/?utm_medium=email
