Mr. Speaker, Jimmy Lai, a 77-year-old pro-democracy advocate and journalist, stands for values cherished by Canadians: media freedom and the rule of law. Despite his age and health issues, Mr. Lai remains imprisoned in torturous condition under Hong Kong's repressive national security law, the provisions of which are inconsistent with international human rights law.
In March 2024, the Subcommittee on International Human Rights issued a news release to “call for the release of Jimmy Lai, and express their solidarity with everyone advocating for freedom and justice in Hong Kong”, echoing that Jimmy Lai “stood up for truth and for his fellow Hong Kongers, and now we must stand up for him.”
Parliament has a proud tradition of supporting such individuals, as shown in 2023 when it granted honorary Canadian citizenship to Russian dissident Vladimir Kara-Murza. I now call upon the Government of Canada to make Jimmy Lai an honorary citizen of Canada.