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Hong Kong handed down a new prison sentence to jailed Hong Kong media tycoon and Beijing critic Jimmy Lai on Friday.

A van believed to be carrying him and nine other defendants was seen entering the court this morning.

Lai was sentenced to 14 months over his role in an unauthorized assembly on October 1st, China's National Day, during Hong Kong's pro-democracy rallies two years ago.

The other nine activists were sentenced to up to eighteen months.

All ten had earlier this month pled guilty in a lower court to organizing an unauthorised assembly.

One activist's spouse condemned Friday's outcome.

"I think this is a very heavy sentence and it is a very big threat to Hongkongers' right to peaceful assembly and protest, which is guaranteed in the Basic Law."

Since December, Lai has already been serving sentences adding up to 14 months for participating in similar demonstrations in 2019.

The judge who delivered Lai's sentence on Friday said part of the new sentence would be served concurrently.

That means Lai faces a total of 20 months in prison - so far.

Lai's repeated arrests have drawn criticism from Western governments and international rights groups who raised concerns over waning freedoms in the city.

China imposed the National Security Law in 2020, in response to the protests.

That punishes anything Beijing considers as subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces, with up to life in prison.

Lai - who Beijing sees as a traitor - faces three more charges under that law.