Hon. Pierre J. Dalphond: Honourable senators, as we prepare for the summer break with our friends and families, I would like us to take a few minutes to think about Jimmy Lai, a champion of democracy and freedom of the press in Hong Kong who also has very strong ties to Canada.
As you may recall, Mr. Lai founded the Apple Daily newspaper in 1995. It would go on to become, in the words of the BBC, “ . . . a standard bearer for the pro-democracy movement.”
The year after Beijing imposed the national security law, Apple Daily was forced to close and its assets were seized, a moment Amnesty International described as, “ . . . the blackest day for media freedom in Hong Kong’s recent history.”
Since August 2020, Mr. Lai has been subjected to a series of politically motivated charges. Since December 2020, he has been continuously detained in harsh and unacceptable conditions including solitary confinement.
In December 2023, Mr. Lai was brought to trial for alleged sedition and conspiracy to collude with foreign agents, including Canada, under the national security law. The case is being heard by a panel of judges carefully handpicked by the Hong Kong executive with arguments scheduled for August — more than eighteen months into a biased process designed to silence Mr. Lai and send a chilling message to everyone who dares to challenge the Beijing rules in Hong Kong.
Colleagues, all of this is being inflicted on a 77-year-old man who suffers from diabetes and declining health. Reflecting widespread concern, the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found Mr. Lai’s detention to be arbitrary, and numerous human rights organizations have urged for his immediate release.
In November 2023, Vancouver Archbishop Emeritus Michael Miller was among 10 Catholic bishops who signed a petition demanding that the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region immediately and unconditionally release Mr. Lai, a Catholic. That December, this chamber joined the House of Commons in unanimously adopting a motion calling for his immediate release.
Colleagues, our call to release Mr. Lai must continue to resonate this summer, and beyond, until Mr. Lai is free. Thank you.