The family members of 12 Hongkongers arrested and detained in custody in mainland China after attempting to flee to Taiwan have pleaded for assistance from the Hong Kong government in a joint press conference on Saturday.

The families of the imprisoned group, who had also been detained for three weeks in the mainland, voiced out their concerns over their welfare. They said all 12 lawyers representing the 12 Hongkongers had so far been denied access to their clients. This was despite two lawyers presenting notarial certificates confirming their appointment to their clients, which were later rejected. Mainland authorities had even assigned lawyers to represent some of them, they said.

China’s coast guard captured 12 Hongkongers on Aug. 23 in mainland waters, accused of illegally fleeing to Taiwan. The group were said to be remanded in custody in Yantian, a town in Shenzhen bordering Hong Kong.

Some of the suspects are believed to have ties with the anti-government protests in Hong Kong last year, fueled by the now-scrapped extradition bill.

Pro-democracy activist Andy Li was reportedly one of those arrested in the escape attempt. Li had already been arrested in Hong Kong on Aug. 10 under the sweeping national security law.

A mother of one of the detainees Li Tsz-yin said that she had hired a Chinese lawyer and brought a notarial certificate to the detention center to request a meeting with her son. The authorities told her that they would reply within 48 hours, but then said they had already appointed two lawyers for her son.

“I know he wouldn’t do that. We have no relatives on the mainland. I don’t know why the issue would turn out like this. Even when I hired a lawyer, they just said no,” she said. “We all are very worried about his safety. We have no idea whether he is still alive. I hope the authorities can explain to us and let us see him.”

The wife of arrestee Wong Wai-yin said mainland authorities had been coaxing the lawyer she had hired into dropping the case by telling him that the case was too complicated.

The younger brother of Tang Kai-yin said his family had tried and failed on many occasions to send medication to the mainland to ease his brother’s chronic asthma and psoriasis. Mainland authorities rejected their request, saying that they could not verify his identity, the brother said.

“They later hung up the phone directly when I tried,” he said.

“I feel anxious about many things, especially his condition, because I know he is being denied medication,” Tang’s mother wept in the press conference.

Lawyer and pro-democracy lawmaker James To accused the Hong Kong government of not protecting its citizens. “Hong Kong people’s legal rights in the mainland are now not protected, but the Hong Kong government has the responsibility to protect them,” To said.

The Hong Kong Economic and Trade Office in Guangdong told the Apple Daily it had received requests for assistance from 10 of their dependents and that the 12 people were in “good” condition.

U.S. Secretary of State Michael Pompeo said on Friday that the U.S. was “deeply concerned” about the case.

“Local authorities have yet to provide information regarding their welfare, or the charges against them. We question Chief Executive Lam’s stated commitment to protecting the rights of Hong Kong residents, and call on authorities to ensure due process,” Pompeo said.

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