A Hong Kong court on Friday rejected most of the bail review applications of 21 pro-democracy defendants in a case of subversion under national security laws, while the others withdrew their bail attempts.

Altogether 21 people had applied to review the court’s rejection of bail for them last week. The same chief magistrate, Victor So, presided over the Friday session at the West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts.

After hearing their submissions, So continued to refuse bail for 11 of them. They comprised Southern district councilor Tiffany Yuen, Central and Western district councilor Fergus Leung, Sha Tin district councilor Jimmy Sham, Tsuen Wan district councilor Lester Shum, former lawmakers Claudia Mo and “Long Hair” Leung Kwok-hung, activist Prince Wong, former chair of the Confederation of Trade Unions Carol Ng, former chair of the Hospital Authority Employees Alliance Winnie Yu, Gordon Ng and Wong Pak-yu.

Former journalist Gwyneth Ho and former lawmaker Lam Cheuk-ting withdrew their bail applications, the court heard.

Academic Au Nok-hin, activists Owen Chow, Joshua Wong and Frankie Fung, as well as former lawmakers Alvin Yeung, Andrew Wan, Wu Chi-wai and Eddie Chu also dropped their review applications. They were among 12, including Mo, Shum, Yu and Leung Kwok-hung, who decided on Friday to give up their right to review last week’s bail decision every eight days.

All 47 defendants are due to have their cases mentioned in court again on May 31. They were taken into custody on Feb. 28, and only five have managed to be released on bail so far. Including those who gave up the right of review on Friday, 12 will remain locked up in the next 11 and a half weeks before the May session.

Some of the others will have their bail appeals heard on Saturday and next Monday.

Prosecutors are charging the 47 pro-democracy activists and politicians for subverting state power. So last week turned down the bail attempts of 31 of them, including the first defendant, legal scholar Benny Tai, who later withdrew his application. Earlier, Tai was denied bail over a case about the 2014 Occupy Central protests.

Yuen, who had decided to go without legal representation, cried as she defended herself. Some reporters and members of the public also cried.

During a break in the proceedings, the defendants grabbed the chance to interact with family and friends in the courtroom. They gave a thumbs-up and finger gestures in the shape of a heart, and blew out kisses.

The magistrate told the court that in order to protect the interest of the applicants and the fairness of the subsequent trial, he would not grant media outlets their requests for disclosing bail information in their reports.

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