Son of Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai pledges to keep fighting for father's freedom

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(9 Feb 2026) RESTRICTION SUMMARY: ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVE: Hong Kong - 11 December 2014 1. Various of Lai being arrested by police and chanting with fellow protesters in Cantonese: "I want universal suffrage" ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVE: Hong Kong - 3 December 2020 2. Tracking of Lai in handcuffs getting out of Correctional Services Department van as he is taken into custody ASSOCIATED PRESS London - 9 February 2026 3. SOUNDBITE (English) Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai's son: "Obviously, it was expected, but it was still pretty devastating. I think it's one of those moments where you kind of have doubt as to whether I'll see my father again. It's a 20-year sentence, which is comically large, given that my father's 78. You know at that point in 20 years, he'll be 100, almost. But in the conditions he's been kept in, I think even a tenth of that he might die before then." ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVE: Hong Kong - 23 December 2020 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 4. Wide of Lai walking out of Hong Kong High Court after being granted bail ASSOCIATED PRESS London - 9 February 2026 5. SOUNDBITE (English) Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai's son: "The president of the United States, President Trump, has said that he will free my father, something I've been incredibly grateful for, has given my family a lot of hope. And at this point, it's about saving him. There's many people around the world that view him as a hero and many nations that want him out. And hopefully the joint pressure will mean that my father will be released. Labor, I mean the current government in the UK, has said that, I think it was Keir Starmer that said that a closer relationship to China will mean we could have more dialog with them. So my father's case is the test. You know as I said, look, there's no normalization until my father's out. There's no closer relationship until my father's out because if they can't even do something so simple, then what can we possibly expect from that relationship?" ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVE: Hong Kong - 23 December 2020 ++NIGHT SHOTS++ 6. Mid of Lai getting into car leaving ASSOCIATED PRESS London - 9 February 2026 7. SOUNDBITE (English) Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai's son: "Many people are rightly worried about whether Hong Kong, well, are rightly worried that Hong Kong no longer has a rule of law. And that's damaging for Hong Kong. That's damaging for Hong Kong as a financial center. That's damage for Hong Kong as a place to do business and it's damaging to China as a place to uphold promises. You know, someone asked me about this kind of new world order, you know, China being a stable partner. Well, there's no, there is no stability, there's no promises being kept as long as Jimmy Lai is being in prison. I mean, here's a man who upholds the Joint Declaration. Here's a man who , you know, Hong Kong was promised, the people of Hong Kong were promised by the United Kingdom and China that they'll have 50 years of one country, two systems where their freedoms will be protected. Those freedoms have been destroyed. So every single day my father's in prison is a reminder of that." ASSOCIATED PRESS London - 15 December 2025 8. Photo of Jimmy Lai's son, Sebastien Lai, and his international legal team hold a press briefing in London, Monday, Dec. 15, 2025. ASSOCIATED PRESS London - 9 February 2026 9. SOUNDBITE (English) Sebastien Lai, Jimmy Lai's son: "I'll keep fighting for his freedom. Yeah, obviously I'll keep fighting for his freedom. It's my dad." ASSOCIATED PRESS ARCHIVE: Hong Kong - 9 February 2021 10. Wide of prison van arriving outside Court of Final Appeal ASSOCIATED PRESS Find out more about AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/HowWeWork Twitter: https://twitter.com/AP_Archive Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/APArchives ​​ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/APNews/ You can license this story through AP Archive: http://www.aparchive.com/metadata/youtube/0ccd90c5164b449ea43ec4dc4f85d96f