The people of Hong Kong should not lose hope in the face of political oppression, said a Chinese human rights lawyer who had his license revoked over the politically sensitive case of the Hong Kong 12.

Lu Siwei had his lawyer’s license revoked in January as retaliation for representing Quinn Moon, one of 12 Hongkongers who were caught by the mainland Chinese coastguard during an attempt to flee the city by boat last August.

Despite his predicament, he had an optimistic message for the people of Hong Kong. “No matter how hard things are, don’t lose hope.”

Quinn was sentenced to two years in jail for organizing an illegal border crossing. Eight other members of the group, who received lighter sentences, were set to return to Hong Kong on Monday after completing their seven-month prison terms.

“[Quinn] is likely to serve the full two years. But this case has a political element, there might be sentence reductions or compassionate release,” Lu said in an interview with Apple Daily.

Lu said he was frustrated over the case, as authorities did not let him meet his client. Officials said Quinn and other members of the group had accepted the services of state-appointed lawyers, whose identities remain unknown.

“In the end we didn’t do anything: we didn’t go into the courtroom, we didn’t read any documents, we didn’t see our clients,” he said.

Human rights lawyer Ren Quanniu also had his license revoked after representing Wong Wai-yin, another member of the Hong Kong 12. Wong is expected to be transferred back to Hong Kong, where he faces other charges related to the 2019 pro-democracy protests.

Wong should tread carefully and not overstretch himself, Ren advised. “I hope he will act within his capabilities. In the few months after his incident, there have been many changes in Hong Kong.”

Both lawyers said they had trouble adjusting their lives after they were stripped of their licenses to practice law. Ren said he still wanted to work in the field of human rights.

Lu said he could not process his backlog of clients and cases. “I can’t do anything without a license. I don’t have a solution and I’m looking for one … If there is no solution, then this is the price to pay,” he said.

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