In a statement delivered at the 63rd Human Rights Council in Geneva on 16 September 2026, the United Kingdom thanked the Working Group on Arbitrary Detention for its report on transnational repression. The UK said the report highlights concerns about states targeting individuals beyond their borders through coercive measures, with implications for human rights, the rule of law and democratic freedoms. It shared the Working Group's concerns about detention and other coercive measures used in response to peaceful activities conducted abroad, and called on all States to uphold their obligations under international human rights law.

The UK also recalled the Working Group's finding last year in the case of Jimmy Lai, saying he has now been in prison for more than 2,000 days. It noted that in February he was sentenced to 20 years' imprisonment, which the UK described as tantamount to a life sentence for the 78-year-old British national. The UK reiterated its call for his release and for the release of all those imprisoned under the National Security Law.

The statement concluded by thanking the Working Group for its recent correspondence with the UK, adding that the UK will respond in due course.