Veteran Hong Kong democracy politicians in court for sentencing

Group faces as many as five years in prison over ‘illegal assembly’ charges stemming from 2019 protests.

Dozens of people gathered in Hong Kong on Friday morning for a seat in court ahead of the sentencing of media mogul Jimmy Lai and nine other pro-democracy politicians and activists after they were found guilty of taking part in unauthorised assemblies during massive anti-government protests in 2019. It marks the first time that Lai, one of Hong Kong’s most prominent supporters of democracy, who has been in jail since December after being denied bail in a separate national security case, will be sentenced. About 100 people queued outside the court early on Friday to get a seat for the hearing.