Joshua Wong receives additional decade in prison for foreign collusion

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to an additional ten years in prison on Thursday for the charge of colluding with foreign powers. According to a summary released by the court, the judge imposed a final sentence of ten years' imprisonment on the 30-year-old activist. Wong had pleaded guilty in September to seeking foreign sanctions against both Hong Kong and China under the national security law implemented by Beijing.

Wong, who has become one of the most recognizable figures in the territory's pro-democracy movement, has already spent almost six years incarcerated. He turned 30 last month. Prior to this latest conviction, the former student leader was expected to be released in January after serving a sentence of four years and eight months for subversion under the same security legislation.

However, Hong Kong authorities charged Wong again in June 2025. The new charges accused him of encouraging other countries and entities to impose sanctions on the financial hub and mainland China. On the morning of the sentencing, Wong appeared in court wearing a blue shirt and black glasses. He looked calm, nodding to supporters and observing the press gallery. As he left the courtroom, he waved to his followers, who were heard expressing their determination to wait for his release.

The hearing drew a significant crowd, with dozens of people lining up to attend while police deployed heavy security outside the court building. Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London, told AFP that Beijing views Wong as a key leader in the 2019 protests, which they perceive as an open rebellion. Tsang noted that despite Wong being considered a moderate, authorities intend to make an example of him to demonstrate that they are maintaining strict control over Hong Kong with no return to the more relaxed atmosphere seen before 2019.

Human rights organizations have criticized the collusion charge as a strategic move to keep Wong behind bars. His legal team had argued for a shorter sentence ranging from three to ten years, taking into account the time he had already served. Wong rose to prominence during the 2014 Umbrella Movement and has faced multiple prosecutions related to protests since 2017.

Authorities stated that Wong began international lobbying efforts as early as 2016. He promoted a bill known as the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which would grant the US President the power to impose sanctions for human rights violations in the city. During the massive protests of 2019, Wong joined a delegation to the United States to lobby for the bill, which eventually passed into law. The following year, Beijing introduced the sweeping national security law to suppress dissent, leading to the disbanding of opposition groups and the departure of many activists.

At that time, Wong vowed to continue defending his home until he was silenced. He was part of a group of pro-democracy figures jailed for subversion in 2024, which marked the largest national security trial in Hong Kong's history. While several of his co-defendants have recently been released after completing their sentences, Wong is the only individual from that cohort to have been charged twice under the security law.

Louis Lee, a friend of Wong and former member of the Scholarism student group, described the activist as energetic in prison but occasionally worried and nervous about the outcome of the trial. Lee noted that Wong often appeared disappointed during visits and sighed frequently, acknowledging the many unknowns in his situation. Margaret Chan, a 61-year-old retiree and long-time supporter, called the situation heartbreaking. She remarked that Wong is an outstanding young man who will be in his middle age by the time he is finally released.