Ten of the 12 Hong Kong protesters arrested at sea in August went on trial on Monday in a Shenzhen courtroom, as observers continue to question the fairness of the procedures.

What was said in Monday’s proceedings remains unclear because outside observers were effectively banned from the courtroom: court officials claimed that all the seating was occupied.

Pro-Beijing Wen Wei Po newspaper reported that the 10 defendants admitted their guilt in the courtroom.

On Monday evening, the Yantian District People’s Court issued a statement saying it had heard the case and would issue the verdict on another day.

Lawyers hired by the defendants’ families were barred from taking part. Instead, all the defendants were represented by court-appointed lawyers.

The 10 defendants in Monday’s hearing were among the 12 who were arrested by the Guangdong coast guard on Aug. 23 this year. Eight are accused of illegally entering mainland waters while two are also charged with organizing an unlawful border crossing.

The group has been incarcerated for 128 days, held incommunicado in a Shenzhen detention center.

All 12 defendants are also reportedly facing charges in Hong Kong related to last year’s anti-government protest movement. They include Andy Li, who was arrested by Hong Kong police on Aug. 10 under the national security law imposed by Beijing in late June.

Monday’s hearing had originally been planned to be televised live, but was suddenly declared “open” in the afternoon even though no observers are known to have been admitted.

The case has attracted wide interest and media coverage because it is the first group of Hong Kong anti-government protesters tried on the mainland.

Representatives from the consulates of the United States, Canada, British, Portugal, the Netherlands and Australia arrived at the Yantian District People’s Court, but all were barred from the session.

In a telephone inquiry by Apple Daily, a court spokesperson explained that the courtroom was full, adding that he did not know the room’s seating capacity.

One Western envoy told Reuters news agency, “We’ve been denied entry. The official explanation given is that the case does not involve any foreign citizens.” However, at least one defendant is reportedly a Portuguese passport holder.

The United States Consulate General in China on Monday called on Beijing to free the imprisoned group. “Their so-called ‘crime’ was to flee tyranny. Communist China will stop at nothing to prevent its people from seeking freedom elsewhere,” it said in a statement.

In response, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said in a daily press briefing that the 12 Hongkongers were being prosecuted “in accordance with the law.”

He urged the U.S. to stop using Hong Kong affairs to interfere in China’s internal issues.

Two of the detainees are juveniles who were not tried on Monday. The court has said their fate will be decided in a separate, private hearing.

Under current law, illegal border crossing is punishable by up to seven years in jail, while organizing such operations could lead to life imprisonment.

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