Dear Friend,
Today is the 37th anniversary of the Tiananmen Square Massacre. I have taken the opportunity to write an Open Letter to President Trump and Prime Minister Kier Starmer, advocating for them to take a more powerful role in securing his release. To sign the petition to free Jimmy Lai, click HERE.
Dear President Trump and Prime Minister Starmer,
We write on behalf of concerned citizens from more than 30 countries who are calling for the immediate and unconditional release of Jimmy Lai.
On the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square massacre, we are reminded of the Chinese Communist Party’s longstanding record of repression. That tragedy compelled Jimmy Lai to dedicate his life to defending freedom and human dignity in Hong Kong. For this, he has been imprisoned under harsh and degrading conditions.
At 78, Mr. Lai’s health is in rapid decline. After more than five years in solitary confinement with minimal natural light, he is reportedly receiving inadequate treatment for serious medical conditions, including heart disease, hypertension, and diabetes. The risk to his life is immediate. Any further delay may amount to a death sentence.
We acknowledge President Trump’s stated commitment to securing Mr. Lai’s release and his decision to raise the case directly with President Xi Jinping. However, the absence of meaningful action from Beijing underscores the need for significantly stronger measures. Prime Minister Starmer, as the leader of Jimmy Lai’s country of citizenship, your government has both a moral obligation and a sovereign responsibility to act decisively.
We urge you both to escalate this matter to the highest diplomatic priority. Jimmy Lai’s continued detention should carry clear and tangible consequences in bilateral and multilateral engagements with the Chinese government. His case must be raised consistently and publicly and linked to concrete diplomatic and economic considerations. Silence or incrementalism at this stage risks signaling tolerance for grave human rights abuses.
Jimmy Lai’s imprisonment is not only an injustice against one man—it is a test of the international community’s resolve to defend fundamental freedoms. We urge you to act with urgency and resolve to secure his release while there is still time.
Sincerely,
Reggie Littlejohn, President
Women’s Rights Without Frontiers and Anti-Globalist International
On behalf of petition signatories from more than 30 countries
