President Trump: Honor Your Campaign Promise and Secure My Father Jimmy Lai’s Release from Solitary Confinement Before It’s Too Late

In my family, we used to celebrate Chinese New Year with a special tradition: gathering at my father’s home, enjoying radish cakes, and playfully debating who had put on the most weight over the holiday season.

Those joyful gatherings ceased four years ago. My father, Jimmy Lai, is now enduring solitary confinement in a prison in Hong Kong.

Once hailed as one of the city’s most prominent entrepreneurs, my father was a trailblazer in fast fashion and a staunch advocate for free speech, serving as the publisher of Hong Kong’s leading pro-democracy newspaper, Apple Daily.

He cherished the freedom that allowed him to prosper as a businessman and publisher in Hong Kong, which was once under British rule.

The reason my dad is imprisoned is simple: He, along with his newspaper, stood up for freedom and democracy against the backdrop of Beijing’s tightening grip on Hong Kong.

He is being tried under a “national-security law” imposed by China in 2020, a law that criminalizes free speech and curtails civil liberties. This legislation has been central to the repression seen in the city over the last five years.

Many people worldwide familiar with his story are advocating for my father’s release, and during his campaign, President Trump pledged to secure it.

Now is a critical moment for President Trump to take action.

As my father’s show trial nears its conclusion, it is inevitable that he will receive a life sentence.

Releasing him now would represent a swift and straightforward gesture for the Chinese Communist Party in mending relations with the United States.

The authorities in Hong Kong have made their stance clear: The targeting of my father has deterred anyone who might dare to advocate for democracy.

Keeping a peaceful, elderly man of 77 in prison will only intensify global calls for his liberation and underscore the government’s cruelty.

Granting my father freedom would enhance Trump’s growing reputation for achieving results that have eluded other leaders.

He has successfully secured the release of various international political prisoners and would become a hero to many by adding Jimmy Lai to that list. The two share similarities—dynamic businessmen who are courageous and unafraid to challenge the status quo.

My father holds British citizenship. When it became apparent that his freedom was at risk due to his newspaper’s criticism of Beijing, he could have easily relocated to England. However, he chose to stand firm for his beliefs and defend his journalists, acting as a shield against the CCP’s rage.

The consequence of his decision has been four years of inhumane solitary confinement.

He was once known for his imposing stature in local media, but now he has become gaunt. Long-term isolation in a small, oppressively hot cell can do that to a person.

Perhaps the cruelest punishment, especially for a devoted Catholic, is that my father has been denied the opportunity to receive communion.

Yet, despite the darkness surrounding him, my father’s hopeful smile still shines, even in a courtroom where the government is determined to dismantle the Hong Kong legal system and suppress its people’s desire for freedom.

To countless individuals in Hong Kong and beyond, my father represents a heroic figure. He embodies the fight for freedom and the sacrifices it often entails.

But to me, he is simply my dad.

He will turn 78 this December. Without a significant change, he will likely spend his final days behind bars.

After government-appointed national-security judges berated him during a recent hearing, my father responded, “In the end, the truth will be revealed in the kingdom of God, and that is sufficient for me.”

We must ensure he does not have to wait that long.

Sebastien Lai is leading the #FreeJimmyLai campaign.