China’s representative intervened at the UN on Friday in an effort to stop the son of detained media tycoon Jimmy Lai testifying.
Sebastien Lai, who was urging for his father’s release, was interrupted during an Interactive Dialogue with the Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association.
“My father has served lengthy prison sentences for exercising his right to peaceful protest,” Sebastien Lai told the UN, on the third anniversary of Hong Kong’s security law. “For peaceful attendance at pro-democracy demonstrations. For lighting a candle at a Tiananmen Square massacre vigil. Now, he is awaiting trial under the National Security Law for defending liberty. He faces life in prison.”
During the hearing, the Chinese representative interrupted, claiming that the statement was unrelated to the meeting’s agenda: “Trials mentioned are underway. We don’t want anyone to use this platform to exaggerate in that regard – we request the president to immediately interrupt this NGO.”
The request was rejected by the president overseeing the meeting.
The pro-democracy media mogul’s son was delivering at oral statement on behalf of NGO Pen International at the 53rd Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council.
Attempt to ‘silence’
Jimmy Lai, 75, has been remanded in custody since December 2020, and is currently facing trial under the Beijing-imposed national security law and the colonial-era sedition law. A British citizen, he 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.
In a press statement, PEN International said China had attempted to silence Sebastien Lai: “We welcome the President of the Human Rights Council’s decision to allow Sebastien to conclude his oral statement, and for the comments from Special Rapporteur on freedom of peaceful assembly and of association, Clément Nyaletsossi Voule, who expressed his support and solidarity with Sebastien Lai.”
Correction 4/7/23: A previous version of this article suggested that Clément Nyaletsossi Voule rejected China’s request to halt Lai’s testimony, when it fact it was the meeting president. We regret the error.
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