Two Months Before Release... 'Hong Kong Pro-Democracy Activist' Wong Joshua Gets 10 More Years in Prison

Hong Kong Court Adds Charge of Conspiring with Foreign Forces
U.S., UK and Eight Other Countries Call for End to Unjust Prosecutions

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, 30, was sentenced to 10 years in prison for violating the National Security Law, as the U.S. and the UK and eight other countries called for an immediate end to what they described as unjust prosecutions related to the sentence.

According to the South China Morning Post (SCMP) and other media outlets, the Hong Kong High Court sentenced Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison on November 5 for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the National Security Law.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong speaks to reporters and holds up documents related to his bail after leaving Central Police Station in Hong Kong on September 24, 2020 (local time). AFP-Yonhap News.

Wong rose to prominence as a teenager in 2012, when he led a movement opposing the introduction of Chinese-style national education in Hong Kong schools. In 2014, he emerged as a leading figure in the so-called "Umbrella Revolution," which called for the direct election of the chief executive and other demands. He was later sentenced to prison several times for offenses including unlawful assembly in connection with the 2019 anti-government protests, and has been in custody since November 2020. He is serving a four-year-and-eight-month prison sentence imposed in November 2024 after pleading guilty to conspiracy to subvert state power under the National Security Law in connection with the unofficial pro-democracy primaries held in 2020. Wong had initially been expected to be released around January 2027, but the latest sentence has extended his time in prison.

Judge William Tam explained the sentencing, saying, "The punishment must match the seriousness of the offense," and "the court needs to express society's abhorrence of the defendant's plans and actions to collude with foreign or external forces to endanger national security."

Wong was additionally charged with conspiring with pro-democracy activist Nathan Law and others who had fled overseas to urge foreign governments and organizations to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile measures against China and Hong Kong between July and November 2020. In September, he pleaded guilty to the charges but said he had never advocated Hong Kong's independence or regime change in mainland China.

The Chinese government expressed support for the Hong Kong court's ruling and urged Western countries not to interfere in China's internal affairs.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said of the court's sentence against Wong, "Hong Kong is a society governed by the rule of law. The basic principle is that everyone must abide by the law and that violations must be punished." He added, "Wong committed the crime of colluding with foreign or external forces to endanger national security. The crime was serious, and faced with a wealth of facts and evidence, he had no grounds to defend himself and pleaded guilty." He stressed, "The Chinese central government firmly supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in safeguarding national security and cracking down on acts that endanger it in accordance with the law." Addressing international concerns about the sentence, he said, "Irresponsible remarks must stop," and called for an end to "any form of interference in Hong Kong's judicial affairs or China's internal affairs."

Meanwhile, the U.S., the UK and eight other countries called for an immediate end to what they described as unjust prosecutions against Wong.

According to the U.S. State Department on November 6, the countries issued a joint statement criticizing Wong's sentence, saying that "the National Security Law is being used to target individuals for their political expression and participation." They added, "All unjust prosecutions under the National Security Law must end immediately," and called on "the Chinese and Hong Kong authorities to uphold their international commitments and respect the rights and freedoms of Hong Kong residents guaranteed by the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration." The statement was endorsed by the U.S., the UK, France, Germany, Canada, Australia and Japan, among others.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.