Any day now, a Hong Kong court is set to deliver a verdict for Jimmy Lai.

He's the 77-year-old democracy activist and media magnate, who's been detained now for five years.

He's accused of sedition and collusion with foreign forces, but his supporters call the trial a sham and say the only thing Lai is guilty of committing is journalism. Nick Schifrin recently

sat down with Lai's son. Jimmy Lai has been detained by Hong Kong authorities in solitary

confinement for 1,700 straight days. He's become a symbol of the death of personal freedoms

in Hong Kong. Jimmy Lai arrived in Hong Kong at the age of 12, stowed away on a fishing boat.

He worked his way up to become a media tycoon and a leading pro-democracy advocate.

In the summer of 2020, he became the most prominent person arrested under a national security law

that punished people not only for what they did but also what they said.

Anyone who, quote, provoked the hatred of Beijing, who called for Hong Kong separation from mainland China, who received support from a foreign country as judged by Beijing-backed

courts, could be sentenced to life in prison.

And now, after a two-year trial and five years of detention, Jimmy Lye's health is deteriorating,

posing a grave risk to his physical and mental health and to his life.

To discuss this, I'm joined by Sebastian Lai, Jimmy Lai's son.

Sebastian Lai, thanks very much. Welcome back.

Thanks for having me.

To the News Hour.

As best as you can tell, how's your father doing?

Not very well, unfortunately.

As you outlined these conditions that he's in, it's absolutely horrible.

And this is a man who's 77, turning 78 at the end of this year.

He recently was too sick to go to court because he had hot palpitations and they had to hook him up to a heart

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