The 78-year-old British citizen was sentenced on Monday for 20 years after he was found guilty of national security offences last December, marking the harshest sentence to be given under the city's controversial national security law (NSL). Lai was one of the loudest critics of China, often using his pro-democracy paper, Apple Daily, as a tool of protest. He has always denied the charges against him. Sebastien Lai, his son, told the BBC that he believes his father is being punished for "defending the freedom of Hong Kong".

As a British citizen, Sebastian told BBC Radio 4's Today programme, that Lai deserves much more. "Surely a man who has given so much for liberty, for freedom deserves a bit of it himself," Sebastien said. Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper has said the UK government intends to "rapidly engage further" with Beijing on Lai's release. "I again call on the Hong Kong authorities to end this appalling ordeal and release him on humanitarian grounds, so that he may be reunited with his family," Cooper said in a statement. She added: "We stand with the people of Hong Kong." Hailed as a hero by the pro-democracy movement, Lai was also seen as a traitor by Beijing.

Western governments, including the UK and US, have for years called for his release, which Beijing and Hong Kong have rejected. China introduced the controversial national security law in 2020 in response to pro-democracy protests which erupted in Hong Kong the year before. The legislation makes illegal a wider range of dissenting acts, including anything the state regards as secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. It also allows Hong Kong to send cases to be tried in mainland China. (BBC)