Hong Kong’s “father of democracy” Martin Lee, former lawmaker and prominent lawyer Margaret Ng and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai are set to be sentenced on Friday, marking the start of a long string of marathon court cases against Hong Kong’s pro-democracy camp.

The three democratic camp heavyweights were tried and convicted of taking part in an illegal protest back in Aug. 18, 2019. The protest was called by the Civil Human Rights Front, during the first months of the anti-extradition bill movement that swept Hong Kong that year.

Lai, together with Ng and Lee, and many other pro-democracy lawmakers, politicians and activists joined hundreds of thousands of Hongkongers on the streets, despite the organizers not having police approval for the rally. The court found Lai and six other prominent figures to have violated the Public Order Ordinance by organizing and taking part in an unauthorized assembly.

Tomorrow’s sentencing will be the first for the case involving the seven, with the penalties to be the subject of intense scrutiny.

Lai, together with former lawmakers Yeung Sum and Lee Cheuk-yan, have also been convicted of taking part in another illegal gathering on Aug. 31, 2019 — a Christian prayer rally — and will also receive their sentences on Friday afternoon, after the first case. All three have pleaded guilty.

Lai is still currently on trial for allegedly infringing on the national security law by “colluding with foreign powers” to undermine the state. His case will be heard later at the same court in West Kowloon.

In August last year, a 200-strong police squad forced their way into the headquarters of Apple Daily in the name of allegedly violating national security laws, and apprehended Lai and two Next Digital executives. The three were later charged for fraud over accusations that they violated lease terms on office space. The executives were granted bail, but Lai’s bail application was rejected.

In the same month, the police charged Lai for colluding with foreign powers to undermine national security, saying that Lai had spoken through interviews and also through articles asking foreign nations to counteract against the Hong Kong and mainland Chinese governments.

Lai was given a reprieve from jail for a short time, before his bail being rescinded after the

Department of Justice appealed the decision. Lai’s bail rejection has been criticized as political persecution, and that it was “jailing before being found guilty.”

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