Family members of 12 Hongkongers detained in Shenzhen have voiced fears about the trial, which will take place behind closed doors on Monday.

The group of 12 was intercepted at sea when fleeing to Taiwan on Aug. 23 and has been held in custody since then. Eight members are charged with crossing the border illegally, while two are accused of organizing the border crossing. Mainland Chinese authorities say the two remaining Hongkongers will be dealt with separately as they are underage.

The brother of Tang Kai-yin, one of the pair facing the more serious charge, told Apple Daily that he was disappointed by the Shenzhen authorities’ decision to exclude him and other family members from attending court by arranging the non-public hearing.

Tang’s brother said he felt conflicted about the latest developments: the trial might bring a sense of closure, but could also result in a longer period of separation. Tang would “still need to stay in the mainland for a long time,” his brother said.

He further said that a lawyer appointed by the state to represent Tang refused to give specifics about the potential sentence, which might range from two to seven years in prison. The lawyer only claimed that Tang was “very cooperative” and would not receive the maximum penalty.

Families of the 12 Hongkongers previously asked the Hong Kong government to help them go to mainland China to observe the trial.

The Immigration Department said it could not provide help and told the families to “apply for help after entering the mainland,” according to Tang’s brother. The group of family and relatives said that they would decide on the next steps after the trial began on Monday.

Separately, the lawyers’ working committee of Bao’an district in Shenzhen issued a message cautioning its members against speaking publicly on the case. The criminal trial of the 12 Hongkongers was sensitive in nature, and lawyers should not opine on the case to “avoid [the comments] being sensationalized by people with ulterior motives,” the committee said.

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