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Opinion | Those sympathetic to Jimmy Lai must stick to the facts
A London-based legal team’s claims about the treatment of the former media tycoon in prison ignore salient information
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As the national security trial of the former media magnate Jimmy Lai Chee-ying resumes in Hong Kong, his situation has been misrepresented elsewhere.
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A London-based international legal team, led by Caoilfhionn Gallagher KC, styling itself as “international counsel for Mr Jimmy Lai and Mr Sebastien Lai”, has complained about Lai’s treatment in custody. It has also sought his immediate release, even though this is legally impossible.
Not only has Lai served less than half of his sentence of five years and nine months imprisonment imposed for fraud offences in late 2022, but he is in the middle of his trial in the Court of First Instance.
Not surprisingly, Lai’s lawyers in Hong Kong, Robertsons, have wholly distanced themselves from Gallagher’s activities.
In September, Gallagher contacted Alice Edwards, the UN special rapporteur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment, with a tale of woe.
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Among her various complaints about Lai’s treatment in detention, perhaps the most significant was that he was being improperly held in solitary confinement, and that this was taking a toll. A related concern was that he was being denied “independent medical care”.
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