Photo/Illutration Pro-democracy activist Raphael Wong gestures, signifying the 'Five demands - not one less,' outside a local court in Hong Kong on Aug. 19. (AP Photo)

HONG KONG--Seven Hong Kong pro-democracy activists pleaded guilty Thursday to organizing and inciting others to take part in an unauthorized assembly held in 2019, local media reported.

The seven activists appearing in court included Raphael Wong, the former chairman of the League of Social Democrats political party, and Figo Chan, who led the Civil Human Rights Front, a now disbanded group that organized protests.

“I was protesting based on the principle of civil disobedience. One of the key elements of civil disobedience is to accept the charges. So that is what we are going to do later, to plead guilty,” Wong said Thursday ahead of the proceedings.

“Another key element is that the people carrying out civil disobedience actions know being jailed is just part of the process,” he said. “We are not worried about being jailed. Instead, we hope we can achieve democracy after this process.”

Local news outlets Ming Pao and Stand News later reported all seven pleaded guilty. Lawyers for the defendants could not be reached for comment and calls to the court went unanswered.

The activists are the latest to appear in court for charges related to 2019 antigovernment protests that roiled the semiautonomous Chinese territory. The protests were sparked by concerns that Beijing was infringing on the freedoms promised to the former British colony when it was handed to Chinese control in 1997.

Beijing responded to the protests by imposing a strict new national security law last year that has effectively criminalized much of the opposition to the government and silenced dissent.

Most of the city’s most prominent activists, including Joshua Wong and Apple Daily founder Jimmy Lai, are currently behind bars. Many of them were prosecuted for taking part in unauthorized protests in 2019.

Of the seven defendants on Thursday, only Wong was not held in custody prior to appearing in court. The other six are currently behind bars after being convicted of other offences related to their activism.

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