Hong Kong (CNN) A Hong Kong court has sentenced several of the city's leading pro-democracy campaigners to between 8 and 18 months in prison over their roles in unauthorized assemblies at the height of the 2019 protests. Among those sentenced was Jimmy Lai, 72, who founded the pro-democracy Apple Daily newspaper. Lai received 14 months in prison for his involvement in two protests on August 18 and 31, 2019. Three former lawmakers were jailed over the August 18 march, including "Longhair" Leung Kwok-hung, who received an 18 month sentence, Au Nok-hin, 10 months, and Cyd Ho, 8 months. During Friday's sentencing hearing, judge Amanda Woodcock said the defendants "deliberately defied the law" and the unauthorized protests posed "a direct challenge to the authority of the police, and therefore law and order."

Source: CNN April 16, 2021 08:55 UTC