An international coalition of Christian leaders from across Catholic and Protestant traditions has made a joint plea for the release of Hong Kong's Catholic pro-democracy supporter Jimmy Lai and other imprisoned activists as part of a Chinese New Year amnesty.

Cardinal Charles Bo of Myanmar, also president of the Federation of Asian Bishops' Conferences, joined other Catholic and Protestant leaders from across Europe, North America and Asia to send a letter to Hong Kong's Chief Executive Carrie Lam, a practicing Catholic.

"There is the very real prospect that Jimmy Lai may spend the rest of his years in prison," they said, UCA Catholic News reported.

"This would be a sad injustice and would raise unfortunate doubts as to China's continued commitment to the 'one country, two systems' model and the tolerance it engenders," the letter said.

Jimmy Lai was arrested in August 2020 under Beijing's national security law.

The letter was handed to Lam in person on Jan. 31 by Reverend Fung Chi Wood, former Hong Kong legislator and a priest of Hong Kong Sheng Kung Hui Anglican Church, and Father Franco Mella of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions.

Jimmy Lai is the 74-year-old founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, and faces life imprisonment if found guilty of charges of foreign collusion, sedition and fraud under Hong Kong's controversial national security law.

He is currently serving 20 months in jail for taking part in an unauthorized peaceful Tiananmen Square massacre vigil in June 2020.

We will continue to hope and pray for his eventual release as well as for the well-being and prosperity of Hong Kong and all the peoples of the whole Chinese nation

The Christian leaders asked the authorities to drop the charges against him.

"We plead with you to have compassion on his life and well-being, and to correct this injustice. We will continue to hope and pray for his eventual release as well as for the well-being and prosperity of Hong Kong and all the peoples of the whole Chinese nation," the letter said.

"We plead with you to have compassion on his life and well-being, and to correct this injustice. We will continue to hope and pray for his eventual release as well as for the well-being and prosperity of Hong Kong and all the peoples of the whole Chinese nation," the letter said.

Rev. Alan Smith, the Anglican bishop of St. Albans in England spoke of the "the deteriorating situation" in which Lai and others are detained with the threat of life in prison is "a terrible injustice."

"In this festive season, Jimmy Lai should be celebrating with his family and loved ones. In the spirit of the Chinese New Year and the Christian principle of forgiveness, I hope this letter will speak to the humanity of those within the Hong Kong government to show mercy," he said.