Nine leaders of Hong Kong's 2014 civil disobedience Occupy Central movement go on trial Monday at a time when the Chinese-ruled financial hub's civil liberties are coming under increasing strain.
The nine leaders include law professor Benny Tai, 54, sociologist Chan Kin-man, 59, and Reverend Chu Yiu-ming, 74, who face three charges related to public nuisance, including conspiracy and incitement, during street protests that brought much of the former British colony's Central business district to a halt.
This case could be the most consequential against the pro-democracy movement, with repercussions for hundreds of other protesters who were arrested in 2014 and are not sure whether they will face trial. The nine defendants, who have all pleaded not guilty, face a maximum of seven years in prison on each charge.