Hong Kong slams so-called legal team for ‘smears’ over Jimmy Lai custody conditions

Hong Kong authorities have slammed an international legal team which claimed to represent Jimmy Lai Chee-ying after it made “smearing remarks” over the former media tycoon’s custody arrangements amid his ongoing national security trial.

The government on Sunday accused the legal team of “spreading misinformation”. It also said representatives for Lai had clarified that the team had not received instructions to act on his behalf.

“We noticed the so-called international legal team has repeatedly distorted the truth, blatantly discredited the judicial system and trials of [Hong Kong], and fabricated information about the treatment provided to [Lai] during his custody,” the government said.

“This behaviour is completely contrary to the professional ethics that legal practitioners should uphold.”

A spokesman said such actions were “shocking”, arguing the alleged international legal team had misled the United Nations and abused its procedures.

Last Friday, the team released a statement through UK law firm Doughty Street Chambers saying the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention had found Lai was being “unlawfully and arbitrarily detained”, and called for his immediate release.

“The working group also expressed its alarm at Mr Lai’s detention in prolonged solitary confinement since December 2020 and urged the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to immediately remedy the situation and to urgently investigate the use of evidence obtained by torture,” the legal team said.