U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Jim Risch (R-ID), who serve as Ranking Member and Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, issued a statement on the sentencing of Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Jimmy Lai.
“The Hong Kong government’s further persecution of Jimmy Lai through multiple unjust and wrongful legal convictions makes a mockery of the rule of law. Mr. Lai has long been a peaceful advocate for democracy, and all of the activities for which he was prosecuted are protected under Hong Kong’s own Basic Law and internationally recognized human rights. Mr. Lai’s sentencing makes clear that Hong Kong’s long-respected courts now lack judicial independence under the city’s national security regime.
“Authorities in Beijing and Hong Kong still have an opportunity to show mercy. We call for Jimmy Lai’s immediate and unconditional release from prison on humanitarian grounds. Mr. Lai is 78 years old and in declining health. After five years in solitary confinement, during which he has endured unimaginable hardship, he should be freed to recover from his ordeal in the care of his family and friends who love him.”
The Senate Foreign Relations Committee is responsible for developing U.S. foreign policy by examining treaties and legislation, as outlined on its official website. The committee is led by a Chairman representing the majority party and a Ranking Member representing the minority party, according to its membership page. Established in 1816 as one of the original standing committees of the Senate, it has played key roles in major foreign policy decisions such as supporting the Truman Doctrine, endorsing the Marshall Plan, and rejecting the Treaty of Versailles (source). The committee operates within Congress as a legislative body focused on international relations (source).
