Daughter of Hong Kong tycoon Jimmy Lai tells CNN she is devastated by guilty verdict handed down to her father

Katrina Samaan

Washington, D.C (CNN) — The guilty verdict handed down this week to Hong Kong media tycoon and democracy advocate Jimmy Lai was expected but is still devastating, his daughter Claire Lai told CNN’s Jim Sciutto, blaming what she described as the city’s “highly compromised” legal system under Chinese rule.

Her father, 78, now faces the possibility of life in prison after his two-year trial under a sweeping national security law that Beijing imposed on the city following months of huge and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests.

Self-made billionaire Lai, founded a fiercely pro-democracy tabloid newspaper known for its blistering broadsides against the Chinese Communist Party until its forced closure in 2021.

Prosecutors cited Lai’s lobbying of US politicians during Trump’s first term – much of it before the security law was enacted – as evidence of sedition and colluding with foreign forces, including his meetings with then-Vice President Mike Pence, then-State Secretary Mike Pompeo, and attempts to meet Trump himself.

Hong Kong authorities have repeatedly rejected claims Lai’s trial was politically motivated and maintain the city’s judicial system adheres to the rule of law.

Lai’s daughter, Claire Lai, told CNN’s Jim Sciutto that Monday’s verdict was expected but devastating, calling the national security law extremely vague, draconian and arbitrary.

“This was not going to be solved in the once promising but now highly compromised Hong Kong legal system,” she said, adding the 855-page verdict failed to meaningfully engage with free press or fundamental rights protections.

Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1997, has a separate judicial system to that of mainland China – which has a conviction rate above 99%.

Critics fear the national security law has brought what they describe as Beijing’s authoritarian and opaque judicial norms to Hong Kong, with all national security trials so far heard by a panel of specially selected judges, not juries – a departure from the city’s common-law tradition when dealing with serious cases.

Human rights barrister Jonathan Price KC, part of Lai’s international legal team, described the court proceedings as a “performative process” that began with Lai’s arrest in 2020 and culminated in what he called a predetermined verdict.

“The legal reasoning is scarce to say the least, if not non-existent,” Price said.

In response, Hong Kong authorities said the court “clearly pointed out in the reasons for verdict that Lai Chee-ying (Jimmy Lai) was not on trial for his political views or beliefs,” adding that the 855-page ruling is “fully open for public inspection” and “meticulously explains the court’s analysis of the relevant legal principles and evidence.”

The Hong Kong government also defended the city’s legal system, saying, “Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed, and lawbreakers be held accountable.”

The family says Lai’s health has sharply deteriorated during the five years he has been imprisoned. Claire Lai said her father has lost more than 10 kilograms in less than a year and now suffers from diabetes, heart issues, high blood pressure, failing eyesight and hearing, and other visible ailments.

“My father, he was strong and robust… and he was quite known for that as well. And now he’s lost a dramatic amount of weight,” she said.

Hong Kong authorities disputed those concerns, saying Lai has received “adequate and comprehensive” medical care while in custody.

“Professional medical staff provide the most suitable healthcare services to patients, and all PICs (person in custody) are treated equally. Senior counsel representing Lai Chee-ying also clearly informed the court that the correctional institution arranged daily medical check-ups for Lai Chee-ying and that Lai Chee-ying had made no complaints about the medical services received while in custody. The court commended the CSD (Correctional Services Department) for its work.”

Asked whether the Chinese government intends for Lai to die in prison, Price warned that any sentence imposed could effectively amount to a life sentence.

“The maximum is life in prison, and they could impose that. And he was 78 last week. Any one of those sentences amounts in effect to a life sentence, and we’ll see him die behind bars.”

‘Face any adversity’

Lai was born in mainland China and arrived in British-ruled Hong Kong at 12 years old, working his way up from factory laborer to clothing tycoon.

He then pivoted to media and founded Apple Daily in 1995, two years before Hong Kong was handed over to China. The outspoken publisher and his newspaper were at the forefront of the city’s pro-democracy movement, particularly in the decade leading up to the mass anti-government protests in 2019.

A vocal supporter of Trump, Lai traveled to Washington at the height of the 2019 protests, meeting with Pence and other US politicians to discuss the situation.

At the time, massive demonstrations sparked by a controversial piece of legislation were drawing hundreds of thousands onto the streets – many of whom feared that Beijing could encroach on the city’s autonomy and rare freedoms of speech, press and assembly.

Price noted that they have seen an immense amount of international support for Lai’s case. President Donald Trump has said he raised Lai’s case with Chinese leader Xi Jinping, fueling hopes among supporters that diplomatic pressure could secure his release.

Claire Lai said she believes the president’s efforts could lead to her father’s release.

“We’re so grateful for him to show ongoing concern. Now that he’s wrongfully convicted, (it) really gives us a great amount of hope.”

In a statement, the Hong Kong government said it “strongly demands foreign countries to immediately stop acting against the international law and basic norms of international relations and interfering in China’s internal affairs and Hong Kong affairs.”

China’s foreign ministry spokesperson also issued the following statement: “Hong Kong affairs are purely China’s internal matters. The media should respect the rule of law in Hong Kong and refrain from interfering in ongoing judicial cases. As a serious media outlet, CNN should remain objective and neutral, report facts rationally, and accurately and comprehensively represent the positions of China, including that of the Hong Kong SAR (Special Administrative Region) government.”

Despite the verdict, Claire Lai said her family will continue to fight.

“We’re still grieving,” she said. “But one thing that our father has taught us is that we should face any adversity, any sort of difficulty with a certain amount of cheer and a certain amount of spirit, so that’s what we try to do.”

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