PRESS RELEASE:
On Wednesday 13th March, senior lawyer Baroness Kennedy of the Shaws KC, and Miriam Lexmann MEP, joined four of those accused of “conspiracy to undermine national security” in the Hong Kong trial of media mogul Jimmy Lai, published comments condemning alleged torture and coercion of a key prosecution witness.
The politicians and alleged conspirators were speaking on the day pro-democracy activist Andy Li took the stand as a prosecution witness against Mr. Lai.
Alleged conspirators, Magnitsky Justice founder and financier, Bill Browder, Hong Kong activist, Finn Lau, human rights activist, Luke de Pulford, and former Japanese House of Representatives member, Shiori Kanno, accused the prosecution of farcical proceedings. Mr Browder and Ms Kanno added bluntly that they never met or spoke with Jimmy Lai, at any point.
A video of their messages is available for download below, which can be used and edited, crediting IPAC.
Selected excerpts:
Bill Browder
“Me being named as a co conspirator shows the absolute absurdity of this prosecution”
Baroness (Helena Kennedy KC)
“I am urging the judge and the court that is trying Jimmy Lai to see that this evidence should be inadmissible”
Miriam Lexmann MEP
“Andy is a peaceful, kind and humble pro-democracy activist”
Luke de Pulford
“The prosecution is trying to claim that Jimmy Lai was somehow behind the pro-democracy work of Andy Li. This is ludicrous – transparently false”
Shiori Kanno
The Japanese government has assured me that they are closely following this case and won’t stand idly by as a Japanese citizen is treated like this”
Finn Lau
“People like Andy are suffering torture because the international community failed to keep its promises to the problem of Hong Kong”
ENDS
Notes:
- The UN Special Rapporteur on Torture Cruel Inhuman and other Degrading Treatment has confronted China over allegations Andy Li was tortured.
- The Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China is an international cross party group of legislators pushing for democratic countries to reform policy on China, comprising around 350 legislators across 34 legislatures. A full list of IPAC members and other information is available at www.ipac.global
- For media enquiries, please contact: [email protected]
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