Hong Kong prison authorities reject Jimmy Lai death claims
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 4 hours ago2 MIN
Summary
Hong Kong’s Correctional Services Department said on Thursday it would not disclose prison security information or specific arrangements for individual detainees after a US-based advocacy group alleged Stanley Prison staff had rehearsed procedures in the event of Jimmy Lai’s death in custody. The department accused overseas “anti-China, Hong Kong-destabilising figures” of fabricating claims about Lai’s health and custodial arrangements.
Key Points
- In a statement sent to HKFP on Thursday, the Correctional Services Department said it does not discuss prison security, order, privacy, safety, or specific arrangements for individual detainees.
- The response followed a report published last week by the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation, which said Stanley Prison guards had formally rehearsed protocols if Lai died in custody.
- Jimmy Lai, 78, was sentenced in February to 20 years in prison after convictions for conspiring to commit foreign collusion and conspiring to publish seditious content.
- Lai founded the now-defunct pro-democracy newspaper Apple Daily, and his children have said he is not being properly cared for in prison and have raised concerns about his health.
- Authorities have denied those accusations, while the report’s author, Frances Hui of the CFHK Foundation, is wanted by Hong Kong national security police with a HK$1 million bounty.
Why It Matters
The exchange adds to scrutiny over how Hong Kong authorities handle high-profile national security prisoners and what information they are willing to release about prison conditions. It also shows how disputes over Lai’s treatment are increasingly being fought between local officials and overseas advocacy groups.