The Chinese court sentenced 10 out of 12 Hong Kong fugitives, while the two minors were sent back to Hong Kong.

The People's Court of Yancheng District, Shenzhen City, Guangdong Province today sentenced Tang Kai-Yin and Quinn Moon, the only woman in the group, for organizing illegal border crossing.

The remaining eight were each sentenced to 7 months in prison and fined 10,000 yuan ($ 1,500) for illegally crossing the border.

The court said Tang and Quinn were found guilty of organizing illegal border crossings for their behavior "involving many people", while others violated the border management law by illegally crossing the border in groups in

"The rulings are made after taking into account the circumstances, consequences, repentance of each defendant and the prosecutor's proposals for sentencing," the court said, adding that the previous 10 people

Outside the courthouse, temporary barricades surround most of the property, with an outside sign indicating the road is blocked and requiring pedestrians to walk around.

Under Chinese law, illegal border crossing can result in up to one year in prison.

A group of 12 people in August fled Hong Kong by speedboat to escape to Taiwan.

The group fled Hong Kong after China enacted a national security law with special zones in June. The law criminalizes four types of national security crimes, including separatism, subversion, terrorism and collusion.

Tam Yiu-chung, a member of the standing committee of the Chinese parliament, said that the prosecution of the group of fugitives is inevitable.

The US Embassy in China on December 28 urged Chinese officials to release the 12 people and allow them to leave China.

Responding to the US Embassy's call, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lap Kien asked Washington to stop using the Hong Kong issue to interfere in Beijing's internal affairs.