WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Senator Rick Scott joined Ranking Member Jim Risch, of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, and Senators Ben Cardin, Bill Cassidy, Dick Durbin, Tom Cotton, Tim Kaine, Kevin Cramer, Jeff Merkley, Mike Crapo, Chris Van Hollen, Chuck Grassley, Jim Inhofe, Ron Johnson, Marco Rubio and Pat Toomey to release the below joint statement following the sham trial and conviction of Jimmy Lai in Hong Kong:

“Jimmy Lai is a man of integrity and character – a strong advocate for press freedom and democracy, a man of faith, a devoted husband and father, and a hardworking entrepreneur. The Chinese Communist Party is using bogus fraud charges to smear Mr. Lai’s reputation and justify an additional sham National Security Law (NSL) trial in December.

“We have not forgotten the plight of Hong Kongers, Mr. Lai, and the many other political prisoners in Hong Kong. The international community is closely watching Mr. Lai’s so-called ‘fraud’ conviction and future NSL trials.”

###