The Falun Gong spiritual group has appealed against the conviction in Hong Kong of 16 of its members in a case that has sparked fears that personal freedoms are under threat in the territory.
"We are holding out for a fairer ruling," said Kan Hung-cheung, a Hong Kong leader of the global movement, which has pledged to fight the verdict of the court that the 16 were guilty of public obstruction during a demonstration against Beijing.
Lawyers for the defence have lodged the appeal with a magistrate, with a request that it be heard in the final court of appeal.
Rights activists said the charges should not have been laid. They fear Hong Kong may use Falun Gong as an excuse to speed up enactment of an anti-subversion law, which the government is required to make under its constitution.
China outlawed Falun Gong in 1999 for what it calls subversion. Hong Kong and nearby Macau are the only places under Chinese rule where the group remains legal.