HONG KONG -- Jimmy Lai Chee-ying, an instigator of Hong Kong riots, and two others were convicted on Thursday of taking part in an unauthorized assembly in Victoria Park in Hong Kong last year.

The District Court of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region found the three guilty of inciting others to participate in an unauthorized assembly and knowingly participating in an unauthorized assembly.

Lai and Chow Hang-tung were charged with unlawful incitement of others to participate in an unauthorized assembly without lawful authority or reasonable excuse.

Chow and Gwyneth Ho were charged with knowingly participating in an unauthorized assembly at that time, along with other unidentified persons.

The unauthorized assembly case involves a total of 26 defendants, including Lai, Lee Cheuk-yan, Albert Ho Chun-yan and Joshua Wong. So far 21 people have pleaded guilty or been sentenced.

Nathan Law Kwun-chung and Sunny Cheung Kwan-yang, who have absconded from Hong Kong, were also involved in the case. The court has issued arrest warrants for them.