Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 more years in Hong Kong national security case

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to 10 more years in prison after pleading guilty to colluding with foreign powers under the city's national security law. The sentence was handed down on Thursday by a Hong Kong court, according to a court summary, and extends a prison term he was already serving. Wong, one of the best-known figures from Hong Kong's democracy movement, appeared in court wearing a dark blue shirt and black-rimmed glasses, and supporters gathered outside the building as the hearing took place.

The court said Wong, 30, had pleaded guilty in September to seeking foreign sanctions against Hong Kong and China. Prosecutors said the conduct took place between July and late November 2020 and involved lobbying for sanctions and other hostile measures. The judge described the actions as grave in nature and said Wong had sought foreign interference before the national security law was introduced in 2020.

The court also said part of the new sentence will run concurrently with his existing term. Wong has already spent nearly six years in prison and had been expected to be released in January. He is currently serving a four-year-and-eight-month sentence imposed in November 2024 for conspiracy to commit subversion linked to an unofficial primary election.

The latest ruling means he will remain behind bars for much longer, adding to a case that has made him the only activist in Hong Kong prosecuted twice under the national security law. Police were heavily deployed outside the court, and dozens of people queued for hours to attend the hearing. The case is significant because it shows how Hong Kong's national security law continues to shape the city's political and legal landscape.

The law was imposed in 2020 after large pro-democracy protests and has been used in a wide range of cases against activists, campaigners and ordinary residents. Supporters of the law say it is needed to maintain stability, while critics argue that it has sharply reduced political space and weakened the city's autonomy. Wong's sentencing is likely to be read as another sign of the authorities' determination to keep prominent dissidents in custody.

Wong first rose to prominence during Hong Kong's 2014 pro-democracy protests, when he became one of the most recognisable faces of the movement. He later remained active during the 2019 protests over a proposed extradition bill, and was among those who continued to challenge Beijing's tightening control over the city. Prosecutors said he worked with exiled activist Nathan Law to urge foreign powers to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile measures against China.

The two were co-founders of Demosisto, a now-defunct pro-democracy political party. The court hearing drew attention because of Wong's long association with Hong Kong's protest movement and the scale of the sentence. He turned 30 last month, and the new term means he will spend a substantial part of his adult life in prison if the sentence stands.

Rights groups have previously criticised the use of the collusion charge against him, saying it is intended to keep him incarcerated. The ruling also comes against the backdrop of a broader crackdown in which hundreds of campaigners and residents have been arrested under the national security law. What remains unclear is whether there will be any further legal challenge or appeal, and how the sentence will affect the timing of his eventual release.

The court said two months and two days of the 10-year term will be served concurrently with his current sentence, but the practical effect is still a long extension of his imprisonment. For now, the case adds to the list of major national security prosecutions in Hong Kong and reinforces the continuing pressure on the city's remaining pro-democracy figures. It also leaves open how far the authorities will continue to use the law in future cases involving political speech, foreign contacts and protest activity.

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