International Politicians Ask Hong Kong to Let Them Serve as Witnesses in Jimmy Lai Trial

The group says that although their members’ names were mentioned during the case, they had not been contacted to provide statements.

Hong Kong's pro-democracy advocate Jimmy Lai is led into a police van as he heads to court to be charged under the Beijing-imposed national security law, on Dec. 12, 2020. Peter Parks/AFP via Getty Images

A group of politicians from nine countries has requested to serve as witnesses in the trial of Jimmy Lai, an imprisoned pro-democracy advocate and media tycoon, in Hong Kong.

In a letter to the Hong Kong Department of Justice, the group, including former and current lawmaker members of the Inter-Parliamentary Alliance on China (IPAC), outlines the reasons for allowing them to present their evidence in court to ensure a fair trial.