Prime Minister Mark Carney has broken his silence on jailed Hong Kong publisher Jimmy Lai, saying he supports his release on humanitarian grounds and also because he believes in freedom of the press.

Mr. Carney said “we would urge the release of Mr. Lai” when asked by The Globe and Mail at a news conference why he had not joined U.S. President Donald Trump and British Prime Minister Keir Starmer in calling for the Hong Kong businessman to be freed.

The Prime Minister’s statement was welcomed by MPs, human-rights advocates and Mr. Lai’s international legal team.

“We are grateful to Prime Minister Carney for calling for the release of Jimmy Lai. As a champion of Canadian values with strong Canadian connections, we hope the Prime Minister will now raise his case directly with China,” said Brandon Silver, director of policy and projects at the Raoul Wallenberg Centre for Human Rights.

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