The son of former Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai made an emotional appeal for his father’s release during a congressional hearing in Washington on Wednesday. Sebastien Lai addressed the Congressional-Executive Commission on China, pressing for humanitarian intervention ahead of a scheduled visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the United States next week.

Jimmy Lai, a prominent pro-democracy advocate and founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was sentenced to 20 years in prison by a Hong Kong court in February. The conviction stemmed from charges brought under the national security law imposed by Beijing, which critics say undermines Hong Kong’s autonomy and suppresses dissent.

At the hearing, Sebastien Lai underscored his father’s deteriorating health and the toll of incarceration, describing him as a “78-year-old man who has already suffered enough.” He called for his father to be released so that he could be reunited with his family, particularly to support his daughter Claire, who was unable to attend the hearing due to a cancer diagnosis.

The case of Jimmy Lai has drawn international attention as part of broader concerns over Beijing’s tightening control of Hong Kong and its impact on freedom of expression and political opposition. The timing of the plea, just days before President Xi’s visit to Washington, signals hopes among advocates that the issue may receive diplomatic consideration.

The Chinese government maintains that the national security law is necessary to restore stability in Hong Kong following years of unrest, and asserts sovereignty over legal matters in the territory. The Hong Kong authorities have defended the legal proceedings against Lai as consistent with local law and due process.

As diplomatic engagements between Washington and Beijing proceed, the status of Jimmy Lai remains a sensitive subject symbolizing the ongoing tensions over Hong Kong’s political landscape and human rights concerns.