15 Hong Kong pro-democracy activists in court

Fifteen pro-democracy activists appeared at court Monday over charges of participating and organizing massive anti-government protests last year.

It is the second court appearance by the group of activists, who were granted bail by the courts last month.

Pro-democracy activist Lee Cheuk-yan said Monday that the arrests were political prosecution. He also said that the national security law was a total disregard of common law and the rule of law in Hong Kong.

"This political prosecution is a total destruction of Hong Kong rule of law and want to change it to rule by fear. But of course, the worst is still yet to come, the worst is national security law coming to Hong Kong and the DOJ (Department of Justice) has already said that they will not apply common law to this national security law. So what sort of rule of law have we left in Hong Kong," he said.

Martin Lee, Jimmy Lai and Lee Cheuk-yan and 12 other activists were arrested in May and accused of various charges related to the protests in 2019.