A Hong Kong lawyer has told Euronews that he believes the prosecution of pro-democracy protesters in the territory is politically motivated.

Hong Kong has witnessed nine weeks of demonstrations, prompting Beijing to issue a strong warning that those who "play with fire will perish by it".

Wilson Leung from Hong Kong's Progressive Lawyers' Group told Euronews' Good Morning Europe show that the involvement of his profession in today's march underlines the seriousness of the threat to democracy.

"The concern that the legal community has is whether the prosecutions in the Department of Justice are being conducted fairly because pretty alarmingly there are signs that political considerations are at play," he said.

"There has been an open letter from anonymous prosecutors in the department saying that the head of the department is using political considerations.

"There is also heavy widespread use of colonial-era rioting charges; these are very draconian, and the highest penalty of ten years imprisonment can be used.

"Contrast that with the lighter treatment of the suspected gangsters involved in the attack (on pro-democracy protesters) in Yuen Long three weeks ago: 19 people were arrested, they were not formally charged and the offence they were charged with was unlawful assembly.

"This really contrasts with the treatment of pro-democracy protesters."