Three of the defendants in Hong Kong's largest national security trial to date received the heaviest sentences among those considered "active participants" in the scheme aimed at bringing down the government.

Former activist Owen Chow was given a jail term of seven years and nine months, Gordon Ng was jailed for seven years and three months, and former journalist Gwyneth Ho got seven years.

National security judges Andrew Chan, Alex Lee and Johnny Chan pointed out that Chow, 27, was one of the initiators of a pledge relating to the scheme, which "certainly pointed to the fact that [Chow] was putting every effort in binding the participants to ensure its success”.

He had pleaded not guilty.

Chow was already jailed over a riot case, and Tuesday's sentence will be served consecutively because the judges ruled that they were "separate and distinct incidents".

As for Ng, who had also pleaded not guilty, the judges said the 46-year-old "willingly and intentionally" facilitated the scheme.

“This was exemplified by the fact that he placed a full-page advertisement in Apple Daily on 3 July 2020 urging candidates who lost in the Primary Election not to participate in the LegCo election and asking people not to vote for anyone who had not participated in the Primary Election,” the judgement said.

Ho, meanwhile, was the only defendant who did not submit mitigation.

She had pleaded not guilty as well.