Hong Kong court gives Joshua Wong an additional 10 years in prison

Hong Kong’s High Court sentenced pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong to an additional 10 years in prison on Thursday, November 5, after finding him guilty of colluding with foreign entities under the city’s national security law. The ruling came about two months before his expected release in January 2027.

Wong, 30, has been imprisoned since 2020. The latest case accused him of conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and others to seek action against the government from foreign countries, organisations or individuals outside China. The actions covered by the accusation included sanctions, blockades and other hostile activities.

Wong pleaded guilty to the charge in September. Delivering the sentence before a packed courtroom, Judge William Tam said he had initially considered a prison term of 13 years. He reduced that to 10 years to account for Wong’s guilty plea and mitigation. Tam said the punishment needed to reflect the seriousness of the offence and convey the community’s condemnation of collusion with foreign forces that endangered national security.

Wong became one of the most recognisable figures in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement, frequently appearing on news channels. His imprisonment in 2020 followed his involvement in protests the previous year. Those demonstrations began in response to plans to permit extradition to mainland China before developing into a broader movement for democracy. Wong later admitted inciting and organising an unauthorised antigovernment assembly.

The additional sentence prompted criticism from governments and rights organisations on Thursday. The United States consulate in Hong Kong condemned the ruling and demanded Wong’s immediate release. In a statement to the AFP news agency, a consulate spokesperson described his imprisonment since December 2020 as unjust and said it showed the lengths Beijing would go to silence advocates of fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong.

Taiwan’s top body responsible for China policy also criticised the sentencing. It accused Beijing and the Hong Kong government of using authoritarian measures to manufacture charges and carry out continuing political persecution. The body said those actions suppressed people’s legitimate pursuit of freedom, democracy and human rights.

Human Rights Watch rejected the latest charge against Wong. Elaine Pearson, the organisation’s Asia director, described the sentence as cruel and unjust and said the charges were baseless. She argued that young people seeking social change should be valued by society, while criticising the Hong Kong government for imprisoning them.

Amnesty International also condemned the additional prison term. The organisation said Wong’s sentencing provided another indication that Hong Kong’s national security law was being used to punish dissent.