Nine pro-democracy activists in Hong Kong were on Tuesday convicted on a range of public nuisance-related charges in connection with large-scale protests in 2014 demanding free elections in the region, BBC reported.

The nine people included sociology professor Chan Kin-man, law professor Benny Tai and Baptist minister Reverend Chu Yiu-ming. Chu was found guilty of one charge of public nuisance while Chan and Tai were convicted for public nuisance as well as incitement to public nuisance. Among the other six, pro-democracy politicians Tanya Chan and Shiu Ka-chun, former student leaders Eason Chung and Tommy Cheung and activist Raphael Wong were convicted for “incitement to incite public nuisance” as well as incitement to public nuisance. Lee Wing-tat, a former lawmaker, was found guilty of incitement to incite others to create public nuisance.

The Hong Kong court has not yet announced the sentences, but the activists can be sent to jail for up to seven years.

Chan, Tai and Chu had started the Occupy Central with Love and Peace movement in 2013, which joined the student-led protests in 2014. Dubbed as the Umbrella Movement because of the umbrellas used by protesters to shield themselves from pepper spray attacks by the police, the demonstrations were held from September 26, 2014, to December 15, 2014. Protesters occupied key parts of the city and demonstrated outside government offices demanding fully democratic elections. The protests were sparked by a proposal to allow citizens to directly elect the head of government, the Chief Executive of Hong Kong, but based on a list of candidates approved by China. Hong Kong is a special administrative region of China.

The prosecutors on Tuesday argued that the protests had disturbed public order by obstructing and occupying public places and thoroughfares. While delivering his verdict, District Judge Johnny Chan of the West Kowloon Magistrate’s Court said that it would be “naive to suggest that a concession to introduce the form of universal suffrage ... could be made by the government overnight with a click of the fingers”. He also said that while civil disobedience was “recognised in Hong Kong”, it could not be used as a defence against a criminal charge.

Human rights groups have condemned the verdict. “Hong Kong courts, by labelling peaceful protests in pursuit of rights as public nuisance, are sending a terrible message that will likely embolden the government to prosecute more peaceful activists, further chilling free expression in Hong Kong,” The Guardian quoted Maya Wang of the Human Rights Watch as saying.

Tai, speaking to Reuters before the verdict, said, “The reason that we committed civil disobedience is because we want justice for Hong Kong people.”