Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison; Human Rights Watch Demands Immediate Release

A Hong Kong court has sentenced pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong (30) to 10 years in prison under the national security law.

Today, the High Court of Hong Kong sentenced Wong, who was indicted on charges of conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the national security law, to 10 years in prison.

Judge William Tam stated, "The punishment must be commensurate with the gravity of the offense," adding, "The court needs to express society's strong rejection of the plan and actions in which the defendant, along with others, conspired with foreign or external forces to endanger national security."

Wong, who is already imprisoned, was indicted on charges of conspiring with self-exiled pro-democracy activist Nathan Law and others to urge foreign governments, institutions, and individuals to impose sanctions, blockades, or other hostile measures against Chinese and Hong Kong authorities between July 1 and November 23, 2020.

Having pleaded guilty to the charges last September, Wong stated during the sentencing mitigation hearing that he "has never advocated for Hong Kong's independence, nor promoted the collapse of China or regime change."

He also claimed that he had never received funding from foreign sources or spent money to hire foreign political consultants.

According to Reuters, Wong appeared in court today wearing a blue shirt, dark-rimmed glasses, and with short hair, and nodded several times toward the gallery before the sentencing.

Wong first rose to prominence in his teens in 2012 by leading a campaign against the introduction of Chinese national education in Hong Kong schools, and later emerged as a key figure in the so-called 2014 "Umbrella Revolution" demanding universal suffrage for the chief executive.

Since then, he has received prison sentences in various cases, including illegal assembly charges related to the 2019 anti-government protests, and has been serving time in prison since November 2020.

Regarding the unofficial pro-democracy primary election in 2020, he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to subvert state power under the national security law and was sentenced to four years and eight months in prison in November 2024.

He was originally scheduled to be released around January of next year, but his imprisonment period has been significantly extended by this ruling.

The international human rights organization Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a statement today criticizing the sentence as unjust and harsh, and urged Wong's immediate and unconditional release.

Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, criticized the ruling, stating, "The harsh sentence for baseless charges is cruel and unjust," and adding, "Young people who seek social change are a precious asset to a vibrant society, yet the Hong Kong government is locking them up in prison."

Human Rights Watch also pointed out that Hong Kong authorities are employing a pattern of applying multiple charges successively to detain pro-democracy movement leaders for extended periods.

Previously, in February, Jimmy Lai, a Hong Kong media tycoon and a critic of the Chinese government, was sentenced to 20 years in prison on charges of foreign collusion and sedition, drawing criticism from the international community.

(Photo: AP, Yonhap News)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.