A group of Church leaders has issued a call for the release of Jimmy Lai, the Hong Kong democracy advocate, who has been jailed since December 2020 and still faces more criminal charges for his involvement in public protests.
The statement urges Hong Kong authorities to “immediately and unconditionally release” Lai, pointing to the international outcry over his conviction on highly questionable charges.
The statement continues: “There is no place for such cruelty and oppression in a territory that claims to uphold the rule of law and respect the right to freedom of expression.”
The statement is signed by, among others, Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York; Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the president of the US bishops’ conference; Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney, Australia; Archbishop Michael Miller of Vancouver, and Bishop Robert Barron on Winona-Rochester, Minnesota.