Prime Minister Mark Carney is calling for the release of Hong Kong democracy activist and publisher Jimmy Lai, who’s been imprisoned by Beijing-controlled authorities in Hong Kong since the end of 2020.
Carney said Canada’s push to free Lai is motivated by humanitarian concerns and support for press freedom. Lai, 77, is the former publisher of the now-closed Apple Daily newspaper, which criticized Beijing and supported Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. He was jailed five years ago along with six colleagues under Hong Kong’s national security law on charges of sedition and colluding with foreign adversaries for allegedly promoting “anti-China, destabilizing activities” promoting Hong Kong separatism from China, according to Chinese Embassy spokesperson Liu Pengyu….