British politicians have condemned the Hong Kong authorities’ sentencing of nine prominent pro-democracy activists on Friday for taking part in peaceful protests. Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai was sentenced to 14 months in prison, while nine other activists received jail time or suspended sentences for organising and participating in unauthorized assemblies during mass anti-Beijing, pro-democracy protests in 2019. Chris Patten, the last British governor of Hong Kong, said: “The CCP’s comprehensive assault on the freedoms of Hong Kong and its rule of law continues relentlessly. This week, we have witnessed some of the most distinguished of the city’s peaceful and moderate champions of liberty and democracy placed in Beijing’s vengeful sights. “The CCP simply does not understand that you cannot bludgeon and incarcerate people into loving a totalitarian and corrupt regime,” he said, adding that “all those who are conniving at destroying the Hong Kong loved by the world …