Members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC) on December 16 last year condemned the verdict handed down on Hong Kong pro-democracy activist and media entrepreneur Jimmy Lai, calling it unjust and a “travesty of the rule of law”.
In a statement, the alliance described the judgment imposed by Hong Kong authorities as “vindictive” and said it “makes a mockery of the rule of law and discredits all those responsible for it”.
IPAC said the charges against Lai would not constitute criminal offences in any rights-respecting jurisdiction, stressing that his actions amounted to non-violent advocacy.
“The acts of which Jimmy Lai is accused would not constitute crimes in any rights-respecting jurisdiction,” the alliance said, adding that his support for the Sino-British Joint Declaration should have earned him respect rather than persecution.
The group said the prosecution would not have been possible had China honoured its international obligations under the Sino-British Joint Declaration and other binding legal instruments.
“Had the Sino-British Joint Declaration and other binding instruments of international law been honoured by Beijing, this prosecution could never have proceeded,” it said.
According to IPAC, the case highlights the failure of the international community to enforce China’s legal commitments, warning that violations of international law must carry consequences.
“There can be no business-as-usual with a state that persecutes innocent individuals on fabricated grounds,” the statement said.
IPAC also rejected claims that Lai collaborated with the alliance, describing the allegations as false and deliberately fabricated.
“Jimmy Lai was falsely accused of participating in IPAC’s activities, to the extent that IPAC staff were formally named as ‘co-conspirators’ in his trial,” it said.
The alliance said it had repeatedly offered to submit evidence disproving the claims but that the authorities ignored those offers.
“The authorities chose to ignore these offers, preferring fabrication over fact,” it added.
Describing the proceedings as a sham trial, IPAC said the case failed to meet international fair-trial standards, citing multiple violations of due process.
It said Lai was denied legal representation of his choice, subjected to prolonged solitary confinement without adequate healthcare and denied religious rights, including access to Holy Communion.
“His health has now seriously deteriorated, to the deep distress of his family and of people around the world,” the statement said.
The group noted that governments, civil society organisations and individuals worldwide had repeatedly called for Lai’s immediate and unconditional release, but said such appeals had been ignored.
“At this tragic juncture, we again call upon our governments to condemn this travesty of justice — a pre-determined verdict that condemns the Hong Kong authorities far more than the British citizen they have chosen to persecute,” IPAC said.
The alliance reaffirmed its admiration for Lai, expressed solidarity with his family and voiced concern over the fate of other political prisoners in Hong Kong.
