Demand freedom for Jimmy Lai — the brave dissident Beijing can’t break

Jimmy Lai , China 's best-known political prisoner, is fighting for his life in a Hong Kong courtroom.

Julian Zelizer : Lai is a 77-year-old British citizen who ran the most outspoken pro-democracy newspaper in Hong Kong .

Lai 's rags-to-riches tale of success mirrors the territory’s rise and the loss of its freedoms, Zelizer says.

He says it's in China 's interest to let Lai go, if only to ease pressure on Hong Kong and ease the pressure on the city.

Lai has fought for freedom and he deserves our support, says Mark Clifford .

Clifford: It's time to bring him home to his family.

Clifford is author of “ The Troublemaker: How Jimmy Lai Became a Billionaire , Hong Kong ’s Greatest Dissident’.