Joshua Wong Gets Ten Years for Second Security Law Conviction
The 30-year-old activist received a longer sentence than his remaining time on a previous term, keeping him in custody for at least another decade.
By Evelyn Adeyemi ·
Joshua Wong sat in the dock on Thursday as a Hong Kong court handed down a ten-year prison sentence for his second violation of the city's national security law. The 30-year-old activist, who had pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, received a punishment that extends his time behind bars well beyond his original release date.
The judge, William Tam, stated that the offense was of a grave nature and rejected Wong's argument that his role was limited. Tam explained that he initially considered a 13-year sentence but reduced it because of the guilty plea. This sentencing follows Wong's 2025 charge for actions taken to endanger national security through foreign collaboration.
Wong is already serving a four-year, eight-month term for a previous national security conviction related to an unofficial primary election. He had been scheduled for release in January 2027. By ordering the two sentences to be served concurrently, the court ensures Wong remains in prison for the full duration of the new ten-year term, subtracting only the small amount of time he has already served on the previous case.
During the hearing, the prosecution detailed Wong's efforts to lobby international leaders. Officials alleged that Wong and fellow activist Nathan Law agreed in or around 2016 to seek democratic self-determination by calling for sanctions against China. The case cited meetings between Wong and U.S. politicians, including Nancy Pelosi and Marco Rubio, in 2016 and 2019. After the security law was enacted, the prosecution said the pair continued their work abroad while Wong supported the cause from Hong Kong via social media and foreign outlets.
Supporters gathered outside the court to watch Wong leave. He appeared calm and thanked the crowd before departing. Tiffany Chin, a former member of Scholarism, the student group Wong once led, was seen crying. Another supporter, ET Wong, recalled that Wong possessed big-picture thinking as a teenager. She argued that he should not have spent a single day in wrongful imprisonment for walking a difficult path for the city's future.
The sentencing occurs against a backdrop of reduced civic space in Hong Kong. Since the 2019 anti-government protests, authorities have arrested many activists, reduced public choice in elections, and shut down news outlets critical of the government. Dozens of civil society groups have dissolved in the interim. Eric Lai, a research fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said the case shows that national security charges can be repeatedly used to keep specific political prisoners in jail if the government deems it necessary.
Beijing views Wong as an anti-China figure who supports Hong Kong independence, a position that crosses a red line for the mainland. Hong Kong authorities maintain that the security law is essential for stability and that law enforcement actions are evidence-based. Wong's lawyer, Derek Chan, had urged the court to show leniency so his client could care for his parents after release. Friends noted that during his nearly six years in prison, Wong continued reading, exercising, and teaching himself guitar.
Wong's influence remains a concern for the pro-Beijing camp even while he is incarcerated. In September, a pro-Beijing newspaper criticized a 2017 Netflix documentary about Wong for beautifying his crimes. The city's security bureau told local media that the government was taking follow-up action on the film. Despite the criticism, the documentary rose to the top of Netflix's popular chart in Hong Kong.
