A group of anti-government protestors known as the Nauru 19 has reportedly been found guilty in a retrial, four and half years after they were first charged with rioting and disturbing the legislature.

Key points: The long-running case was thrown out of Nauru's Supreme Court last year, but the decision was overruled by a new judge

The long-running case was thrown out of Nauru's Supreme Court last year, but the decision was overruled by a new judge The 12 defendants who appeared in court have been remanded in custody pending sentencing

The 12 defendants who appeared in court have been remanded in custody pending sentencing At least two of the defendants are currently seeking political asylum in Australia

The charges related to their involvement in a protest against government corruption outside Parliament in 2015.

The long-running case was thrown out of Nauru's Supreme Court last year when retired Australian judge Geoffrey Muecke ruled that it was a "shameful affront to the rule of law".

Justice Muecke said at the time that a fair trial was not possible for the men due to interference from the government, then led by former president Baron Waqa, and ordered a permanent stay on proceedings.

However, that decision was overruled by a new judge, leading to a retrial.

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Squire Jeremiah, a former opposition MP and member of the group now seeking asylum in Australia, has told the ABC the retrial delivered a guilty verdict on Wednesday.

"They were all found guilty of rioting and unlawful assembly," Mr Jeremiah told the ABC.

"Everything is unfair, a disgrace allowed by our own government."

"It is really sad and annoying to see how we continue to go through these difficult times, especially now for the boys back home."

Nauru's former president Sprent Dabwido died in Australia while seeking political asylum. ( United Nations )

The 12 defendants who appeared in court have been remanded in custody pending sentencing. A further three from the original 19 pleaded guilty and three have fled the country.

At least two of the defendants, including Mr Jeremiah, are currently seeking political asylum in Australia over the trial.

Another defendant, Nauru's late former president Sprent Dabwido, was also seeking asylum in Australia, however, he passed away in May after a year-long battle with cancer.

Former opposition MP Squire Jeremiah, one of the defendants, is seeking political asylum in Australia. ( ABC News: Anthony Stewart )

No legal representation

The resumption of legal proceedings against the Nauru 19 was controversial due to the defendants' lack of legal representation.

New laws passed earlier this year made it significantly more difficult for defendants to bring overseas lawyers to Nauru, forcing them to rely on the small amount of legal professionals available inside the tiny island nation.

Justice Muecke said the Government ensured through legislation that they would not be represented.

"They've certainly not in my view, had a fair trial in any way, shape or form," he told the ABC.

In the end, only one public defender was appointed to represent all 15 defendants.

The Nauru 19 case was initially dismissed by a retired Australian judge in 2018. ( Supplied: Squire Jeremiah )

A bid by the defendants to have the Government pay for their legal representation was also rejected by the retrial judge Daniel Fatiaki, who said Nauru had no laws giving people the right to be defended in court.

Justice Muecke said successive governments have gone out of their way to ensure the group did not have appropriate legal representation, even casting doubt on the purpose of the trial he oversaw last year.

"The acquittal is probably just to indicate that they've had a fair trial which is a shameful thing for me to say, but that's how I feel," he said.

'Blight on Nauru, the region and Australia'

Australia has spent billions of dollars funding the offshore immigration detention centre on Nauru.

Justice Muecke has said in the past that this means Australia has an obligation to intervene.

"They should take some responsibility for ensuring the rule of law operates in a country which [the Australian Government] funds to such a huge extent," he told the ABC last month.

Speaking to Pacific Beat before the verdict, Minister for International Development and the Pacific Alex Hawke said the issue has been raised diplomatically by the Australian government in the past, but their "number one objective" was to "respect the sovereignty of all countries in the Pacific".

"It's a matter for the Nauru government to make their decision through their legal framework," Mr Hawke said.

"We can't be there to tell specific countries governments what to do."

Members of the Nauru 19 sit in court wearing T-shirts that say "The corrupt fear us, the honest support us, the hero join us". ( Supplied: Squire Jeremiah )

Stephen Lawrence — one of the Nauru 19's former legal team until the Nauru government changed the rules over overseas legal representation — was disappointed with the outcome.

"An affront to the rule of law and a complete blight on Nauru, the region and Australia," he posted on Facebook following the verdict.

"These are the people who stood up and protested the destruction of democracy. Shame."