Joshua Wong Sentenced to a Decade
The Hong Kong activist faces a second term under national security laws for coordinating with exiled peers to seek foreign pressure on Beijing.
By Lauren Foster ·
A Hong Kong high court judge handed Joshua Wong a ten-year prison sentence on Thursday.
Wong, 30, pleaded guilty to foreign collusion in September. The charge stems from his efforts to coordinate with Nathan Law, an exiled activist, to urge foreign governments to impose sanctions or blockades against China. Judge William Tam described the conduct as grave and part of a scheme to collude with foreign powers. Tam noted that Wong traveled to the United States to seek foreign interference before the national security law took effect in 2020. He continued to amplify Law’s social media calls for sanctions after the law was enacted. The judge stated that Wong’s role was to supply underground support and draw international attention to the cause.
The new sentence will run concurrently with Wong’s existing term. He was convicted in November 2024 of conspiracy to commit subversion for his role in an unofficial primary election. That conviction carried a four-year, eight-month sentence. Wong has spent nearly six years in detention and was scheduled for release in January 2027. This is his second prosecution under the national security framework.
Nathan Law reacted to the ruling in a statement. He called the sentencing incredibly sad and said it signals Beijing’s determination to quash hopes for freedom and democracy. Sarah Brooks, deputy regional director for Amnesty International, described the outcome as a grim reminder that the law is used to punish dissent rather than protect national security.
Dozens of supporters waited outside the court building amid a heavy police presence. International diplomats also attended the hearing. Wong, wearing a dark blue shirt and thick-rimmed spectacles, nodded and bowed to the crowd.
Wong first gained international prominence during the 2014 Umbrella protests. He appeared on the cover of Time magazine in October 2014 under the headline The Face of Protest. He was serving a prison sentence for his 2014 role when the 2019 extradition bill protests began. He was released during that surge and returned to the streets. Beijing introduced the sweeping national security law the following year to restore stability. Critics argue the statute has been used to dissolve civil society groups and silence independent media.
Wong is the only activist in Hong Kong prosecuted twice under the law. Human rights groups and supporters have criticized the latest verdict.
