Carney urged to raise jailed Canadians and Jimmy Lai with Xi Jinping

Human-rights groups and families have asked Prime Minister Mark Carney to raise the cases of Canadians detained in China and Hong Kong, including Huseyin Celil and Jimmy Lai, when he meets President Xi Jinping; the appeals were sent ahead of trade-focused talks.

Prime Minister Mark Carney is due to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping during talks that will include trade. Ahead of the visit, human-rights groups and relatives have written to Carney asking him to raise the cases of Canadians detained in China and Hong Kong. The letters name individuals including Huseyin Celil and Jimmy Lai and urge that their situations be discussed. These appeals come as officials prepare for high-level bilateral discussions. Key points: - Human-rights groups and the Raoul Wallenberg Centre asked Carney to raise the cases of Canadians detained in China and Hong Kong, including Huseyin Celil and Jimmy Lai, during his meeting with President Xi Jinping. - Huseyin Celil was detained in 2006 after being returned to China, was tried without Canadian officials present, was sentenced and had that sentence commuted to life; Amnesty International reports he has not been heard from in about 10 years. - Jimmy Lai has been convicted in Hong Kong for sedition and colluding with foreign forces and is awaiting sentencing, with reports noting he faces a lengthy prison term. - Other Canadians, including Li Yonghui, have been held in China without a completed trial or final adjudication and family members describe those cases as in procedural limbo. Summary: Rights groups hope Carney will raise these cases during trade talks with China; Jimmy Lai is awaiting sentencing in Hong Kong while other detained Canadians remain without a concluded legal outcome. Undetermined at this time.