Moolenaar: Free Jimmy Lai

February 8, 2026
Press Release

Today, Chairman John Moolenaar of the Select Committee on China made the following statement on the sentencing of Apple Daily publisher and Hong Kong democracy activist Jimmy Lai:

The sentencing of Jimmy Lai is the latest stain on the human rights record of the Chinese Communist Party and the farce of its promise to uphold one country, two systems. Lai and his Apple Daily colleagues are being punished for exposing the truth about the CCP’s attacks on the rights of Hong Kongers. President Trump made it abundantly clear to General Secretary Xi in October that Lai should be freed and allowed to leave Hong Kong to be with his family. In Congress, I will continue to lead efforts to sanction those responsible for the repression of Lai and his colleagues. If General Secretary Xi wants to improve his relationship with the United States, freeing Jimmy Lai is where he needs to start. Finally, my prayers are with Jimmy, his family, and his friends. They deserve to live in freedom together again.

Watch more about Jimmy Lai's story here. 

 

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Chairman Moolenaar (left) with Claire Lai (right) daughter of Jimmy Lai at the National Prayer Breakfast on February 4, 2026, in Washington, D.C.