The international legal team supporting Mr. Jimmy Lai and his son Sebastian Lai
Cases- Case status
- Unresolved
- Location of case in SG report
- 2024-026-001
- Relevant SG report
- Year of the report
- 2023
- From Country
- Country Geolocation
Latitude: 35.86166
Longitude: 104.195397
- Country Geolocation (linked Cases)
- China
- From Region
- Dates of prior UN action
- 17 March 2023
- Type of record
- Unnamed individual/group/organization
- Was the victim a foreign national?
- No
- Was the victim a minor?
- No
- Individual's/organization's activity
Legal team
- Type of rights defended
- Civil/political rights
- Was the victim a civil servant or member of the security forces or of the judiciary?
- No
- Reported trigger of reprisal
addressed the Human Rights Council
- Engagement with UN body
- UN Human Rights Council: UN Human Rights Council - General
- Dates of engagement
- 14 March 2023
- Type of attempted engagement
- Participation in meeting on UN premises
- Dates of mentioned reprisals
- 15 March 2023, 16 March 2023,
- Reprisal information
The following day, the Government of the HKSAR issued a press release stating that it “strongly disapproved and firmly opposed the acts of the so-called ‘international legal team’ [...] to abuse the United Nations mechanisms by soliciting the Human Rights Council to interfere in the judicial proceedings of Lai Chee-Ying’s case concerning the National Security Law”.27 The press release further noted that “[m]aking a statement with the intent to interfere with or obstruct the course of justice, or engaging in conduct with the same intent, is very likely to constitute the offence of criminal contempt of court or the offence of perverting the course of justice.” On 16 March, an article in a Hong-Kong State-owned newspaper reported that, according to scholars the 'so-called' legal teams is suspected of colluding with foreign forces to deliberately interfere with the judicial process in HKSAR in uct justice may constitute criminal contempt of court or obstruction of justice.28 The press article also accused Mr. Jimmy Lai’s son of colluding with foreign forces and attributed to some politicians the view that the request of assistance from the United Nations of the “so-called international legal team” [...] is “evidence of collusion with foreign powers in an attempt to undermine the rule of law in Hong Kong”
- Further case development
-
On 17 March 2023, special procedure mandate holders addressed the case of Mr. Jimmy Lai and the alleged intimidation and harassment against his legal team and enquired whether the offense of collusion with a Foreign Country or with External Elements to Endanger National Security as per articles 29–30 of the National Security Law excludes instances of cooperation with the United Nations, in particular its human rights bodies and mechanisms (CHN 1/2023).
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According to information received by OHCHR, the international legal team has reportedly been subject to attempts of online surveillance, in connection to the defence of Mr. Lai and related international advocacy on the case, including during their engagement with the United Nations. The international legal team and related staff have reportedly been the target of cyber-attacks in the form of repeated attempts to hack their e-mail accounts, devices and bank accounts, as well as impersonation e-mails (inbound and outbound) and e- mails threatening prosecution and extradition to HKSAR from accounts purporting to belong to the HKSAR authorities. They have also reportedly received over e-mail and on social media death and rape threats, and threats to family members.
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- Government response dates
- 1 May 2023; 28 July 2023
- Government response content
On 1 May 2023, the Government replied to mandate holdersnoting that “whether a particular act constitutes an offence would depend on the facts and circumstances of each case, and hence over-generalization is neither possible nor appropriate”. It further noted that “normal interactions with international organizations (countries and regions) are protected, and that in relation to Jimmy’s Lai case, some are attempting to interfere with ongoing judicial proceedings in HKSAR by exploiting the mechanism of the United Nations”.29
- The Government denied allegations of reprisals against the international legal team of Mr. Jimmy Lai and his son Sebastian Lai, and clarified that making statements with the intention of interfering with or perverting the course of justice, or engaging in conduct with the same intention, is highly likely to amount to criminal contempt of court or obstruction of justice. It also noted that whether the conduct of the team of international lawyers representing Mr. Lai would constitute these offences would depend on the facts and circumstances of each case, and it is neither possible nor appropriate to make over- generalized conclusions. The Government noted further that there are indications of attempts to interfere with the ongoing judicial process against Mr. Lai.
- Was the case raised by a State at the UN?
- Yes
- Which State raised the case at the UN and when?
The United States of America raised the case in September 2023 at the 54th session of the HRC, during the interactive dialogue with the Assistant Secretary-General on the report on reprisals; “We also condemn the harassment of Jimmy Lai's legal team following their engagement with the HRC.”
Australia on behalf of Canada, Australia, and New Zealand, raised the case in September 2025 at the 60th session of the HRC during the Interactive Dialogue with the Assistant Secretary-General on reprisals: "3. We are deeply concerned by instances of reprisals against human rights defenders in China, and against Jimmy Lai’s legal team and their families. We object to the application of Hong Kong’s national security legislation, including extraterritorially, to arrest or pressure activists."
Liechtenstein raised the case in September 2025 at the 60th session of the HRC during the Interactive Dialogue with the Assistant Secretary-General on reprisals: "Many individual cases are emblematic for a systematic crackdown of civil society and human rights work. We have raised concern over the National Security Law in Hong Kong in the past as well as the case of Jimmi Lai in which the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention has found a number of human rights violations. We call for his immediate release."
- Is the country cited for a "pattern of reprisal" in the context of this case?
- No
- Is a pattern of reprisals mentioned otherwise in the context of this case?
- No
- Does the report cite "self-censorship" as an issue in the context of this case?
- No
- How many times has the case been followed up in subsequent SG reports?
- 2
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 0
- 2024
- Follow up information provided in SG report 0
- The case of two members of the international legal team supporting Jimmy Lai and his son Sebastian Lai was included in the 2023 report of the Secretary-General50 on allegations that their statements at the Human Rights Council were considered by the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region as intended to interfere with or obstruct the course of justice and could very likely constitute a criminal offence, according to a public statement the Government had made in reaction to their presentation. During the reporting period, the legal team’s family members reportedly received threats over email and social media, while the international legal team continued to receive death and rape threats and to suffer repeated attempts by unknown sources to hack their email and bank accounts.
- On 11 July 2024, the Government responded to the note verbale sent in connection to the present report. Regarding the case of the international legal team of Mr. Jimmy Lai and his son Sebastian Lai, the Government reiterated that as the legal proceedings were still in progress it would be inappropriate for anyone to comment on them and that making statements with the intention of interfering with or perverting the course of justice, or engaging in conduct with the same intention, would in all likelihood constitute criminal contempt of court or obstruction of justice. It noted further that action by HKSAR law enforcement agencies on the case had been carried out in accordance with the law.
- Followup Trends 0
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Did the government respond? 0
- Yes
- In which SG report was this case followed up on? 1
- 2025
- Follow up information provided in SG report 1
- The case of two members of the international legal team supporting Jimmy Lai and his son Sebastian Lai was included in the 2023 and 2024 report of the Secretary-General35 on allegations that their statements at the Human Rights Council were considered by the Government of Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR) as intended to interfere with or obstruct the course of justice and could very likely constitute a criminal offence, according to a public statement that the Government made following their statements.36
- On 7 June 2024, the Government of HKSAR replied to a communication sent by the Special Rapporteur on torture on Jimmy Lai’s case (CHN 2/2024),37 stating that “making statements with the intention to interfere with or obstruct the course of justice, or engaging in actions with the same intent, including attempting to interfere with witnesses appearing in court or creating bias against such witnesses, is highly likely to constitute criminal contempt of court or obstruction of justice”. 38
- On 13 September 2024, the Government of HKSAR stated publicly that it “strongly disapproved and opposed the acts of the ‘international legal team’ for Lai Chee-ying and his son Sebastian Lai, and those of Sebastian Lai himself, to ‘scandalize’ the NSL and the judicial system of the HKSAR, and to abuse the United Nations mechanisms by soliciting the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Torture to interfere in the judicial proceedings of Lai Chee-ying’s case concerning the NSL”. 39
- Regarding the case of the international legal team of Mr. Jimmy Lai and his son Sebastian Lai, the Government reiterated that, as the legal proceedings are still ongoing, under the legal principle of sub judice, no one should comment on the case. It stated further that the “so-called international legal team” had wilfully discredited the National Security Law and openly smeared the HKSR justice system, , was unauthorized to act on behalf of Mr. Jimmy Lai, had misrepresented facts, and misused UN mechanisms to interfere with the case.
- Followup Trends 1
- Deterioration/further reprisals
- Did the government respond? 1
- Yes