SW News: An international coalition of Christian leaders across Europe, North America and Asia has sought amnesty for Hong Kong’s pro-democracy activist and media mogul Jimmy Lai.

In a letter submitted to Hong Kong’s Chief Executive Carrie Lam, the signatories, including the president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences Cardinal Charles Bo of Myanmar and various other Catholic and protestant leaders, appealed for the Chinese New Year amnesty for Lai and other imprisoned activists.

Lai, the 74-year-old Catholic founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, has been charged with foreign collusion, sedition, and fraud under Hong Kong’s controversial national security law. He is currently serving a 20 months prison sentence for participating in the banned Tiananmen Square massacre vigil in June 2020.

In the letter, the signatories from across Europe, North America, and Asia said that the possibility of Lai being imprisoned for life is real and called this “sad injustice.” Noting that the move would raise doubts on China’s commitment to the ‘one country, two systems’ model for the former British colony and the tolerance it engenders, the Christian leaders urged authorities to drop all charges against Lai.

“We plead with you to have compassion on his life and well-being and to correct this injustice. We will continue to hope and pray for his eventual release as well as for the well-being and prosperity of Hong Kong and all the peoples of the whole Chinese nation,” reads the letter.

The appeal was handed over to Lam on January 31 by Reverend Fung Chi Wood, former Hong Kong legislator and a priest of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Anglican Church, and Father Franco Mella of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.

In June 2020, Beijing imposed the draconian National Security Law in Hong Kong, criminalizing what the government defines as secession, subversion, terrorism, and colluding with foreign forces. On January 8, addressing the ‘patriots-only’ new legislature, Lam said that Hong Kong would soon have its own National Security legislation.