The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region Government today strongly condemned the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) for a deliberate and unfounded report on Lai Chee-ying's health condition in an attempt to fabricate facts to mislead the public by intentionally portraying him as a victim to cover up his offences and conviction by the court.

In a statement, the Hong Kong SAR Government said the court's verdict was entirely free from any political considerations, noting that reasons for the verdict, including the court's analysis of the relevant legal principles and evidence, are fully open for public inspection.

The court's verdict is well-founded and reasoned, fully demonstrating that its decision was made strictly in accordance with the law and evidence and free from any interference, the statement said.

The court clarified that Lai Chee-ying's only intent, whether pre or post National Security Law, was to seek the downfall of the Communist Party of China, even though the ultimate cost was the sacrifice of the interests of the citizens of the People's Republic of China (PRC) and Hong Kong.

Additionally, the court found that Lai Chee-ying was the mastermind of the conspiracies charged in all three counts, and his actions showed his intent to pursue these conspiracies, which constituted a threat to the national security in the PRC and the city, the statement added.

The Hong Kong SAR Government emphasised that Hong Kong is a society underpinned by the rule of law and has always adhered to the principle that laws must be obeyed and lawbreakers be held accountable, noting that Article 5 of the security law and section 2 of the Safeguarding National Security Ordinance clearly state that the principle of the rule of law shall be adhered to in preventing, suppressing and imposing punishment for offences endangering national security.

Any suggestion that certain individuals or organisations should be immune from legal consequences for their illegal acts is no different from advocating a privilege to break the law, and is totally contrary to the spirit of the rule of law, it added.

The statement dismissed the claims regarding Lai Chee-ying's health condition as reported by BBC, noting that the Hong Kong SAR Government has repeatedly insisted that the Correctional Services Department (CSD) handled the custodial arrangements for him in the same manner as other persons-in-custody.

It said that Lai Chee-ying has received adequate and comprehensive medical attention. All correctional facilities, equipped with hospitals or sick bays, maintain 24/7 staffing by medical officers seconded from the Department of Health and correctional staff with professional nursing qualifications.

The Hospital Authority and the Department of Health’s medical specialists visit correctional institutions regularly to give persons-in-custody specialist consultation and treatment, including dental treatment. Those with dental health issues are referred to dental specialists, and in serious cases are transferred immediately to a public hospital for treatment, the statement added.

The statement noted that during the public court hearing in August 2025, the senior counsel representing Lai Chee-ying informed the court that he had consistently received appropriate treatment and care in prison.

The statement said that daily medical check-ups were arranged for Lai Chee-ying, and he raised no complaints about the care he received. Consequently, the court commended the CSD for its medical arrangements.

On December 15, 2025, when the court handed down its verdict, the senior counsel representing him stated in response to questions from the media that everyone in the court could clearly see his health condition, the statement added.

The CSD provided dental treatment for Lai Chee-ying in 2021 and 2022 based on his needs. Since then, Lai Chee-ying has had no dental health problems and has made no further requests for dental treatment, the statement noted.

Separately in 2025, Lai Chee-ying notified the CSD of problems with his fingernails. However, he fully recovered after treatment with ointment prescribed by the institution's medical officer, with no loss of fingernails as alleged in the media reports, the statement added.

In August 2025, before the public hearing, the CSD arranged for him to wear a cardiac monitoring device and prescribed heart medication for heart palpitations, to be used as needed. The statement emphasised that since then, Lai Chee-ying has made no further complaints to the department about his heart palpitations.

The statement stressed that the allegations made by Lai Chee-ying's daughter and relevant media reports, including those by BBC, are completely baseless.

The Hong Kong SAR Government pointed out that individuals with ulterior motives, including Lai Chee-ying's family members and certain media, have ignored the facts and continue to spread lies and engage in despicable acts.