HONG KONG - The West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts of Hong Kong on Wednesday ruled that nine defendants, including media tycoon Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, Democratic Party founder Martin Lee Chu-ming and former legislator Albert Ho Chun-yan, have a case to answer for their involvement in an illegal assembly in 2019.

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They were charged with organizing and participating in an unauthorized assembly on Aug. 18, 2019.

During a trial on Feb 16, among the nine defendants, former lawmaker Au Nok-hin pleaded guilty to the two charges and activist Leung Yiu-chung to the one charge of participating in an unauthorized assembly, while other seven people, including Lai, have pleaded not guilty.

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The legal proceedings will continue on Thursday.