Urgent Health Concerns for Hong Kong Tycoon Jimmy Lai in Prison

Wed Dec 31 2025 13:05:18 GMT+0200 (Eastern European Standard Time)

The daughter of pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai reveals alarming details about his deteriorating health while incarcerated, prompting calls for intervention from international leaders.

Jimmy Lai's daughter Claire expresses grave concerns about her father's health after he recently reported issues including rotting teeth and fallen fingernails due to imprisonment conditions. Lai, who faces life in prison under Hong Kong's national security law, has been detained for over two years. Despite denials of mistreatment by Chinese authorities, his family's advocacy for his release grows increasingly urgent.

The daughter of Jimmy Lai, the pro-democracy tycoon jailed in Hong Kong, has expressed concerns about her father's deteriorating health in prison, saying that his fingernails sometimes fall off and his teeth are rotting.

Lai, 78, has been detained since December 2020 and faces life in prison. Earlier this month he was convicted of colluding with foreign forces under the city's controversial national security law (NSL).

Chinese authorities have denied that Lai has been mistreated in prison, stating he is in good health.

The BBC has seen a letter written by Lai's family urging UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer to call for Lai's release when he meets Chinese President Xi Jinping next month.

His daughter Claire Lai, who is in exile in London, expressed fears of never seeing her father again. Of course I worry that my father is going to be a martyr, and I don't want him to be a martyr, she stated.

Describing her father's condition, Claire noted he is losing weight, has developed diabetes, and suffers from previously unseen health issues including heart problems and painful standing. Some days he can't even get out of bed, she added.

Lai's family has repeatedly raised alarms over his health, with his son Sebastien previously reporting similar concerns. A spokesperson for the Commissioner's Office of the Chinese Foreign Ministry in Hong Kong claimed Lai's rights and health conditions have been adequately protected.

Lai, a UK citizen, is the most prominent figure charged under the NSL, which critics claim has been used to crush dissent in Hong Kong. Following his conviction, the UK condemned it as politically motivated persecution and has called for an end to the law.

Claire's plea underscores a desperate call for action as the family faces the reality of Lai's potential martyrdom if health conditions worsen in confinement.