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A Hong Kong court has convicted seven prominent pro-democracy activists for illegal assembly. Among the activists convicted Thursday are 82-year-old lawyer Martin Lee and media mogul Jimmy Lai.
This condemnation is a blow to the movement fighting to preserve democracy in Hong Kong, which is increasingly authoritarian in China. The seven convicts are said to have gathered illegally on August 18, 2019 to demonstrate, along with hundreds of thousands of others. Hong Kong was the scene of massive anti-government protests at the time.
Most activists, including Lai, deny being guilty of a criminal offense. It is not yet clear what punishment they will receive. This will be determined later by the judge.
China introduced a controversial security law in Hong Kong last year after persistent mass protests. This law gave the authorities more options to curb the pro-democracy movement. Many prominent opposition members and activists in Hong Kong have since been detained or moved abroad. In total
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