Joshua Wong, 30, was sentenced to 10 years for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under Hong Kong's national security law, extending his imprisonment until late 2036.
A Hong Kong court sentenced democracy activist Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison on November 5, 2026, for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the city's national security law.
Wong, 30, was already serving a four-year and eight-month prison term for subversion and had been due for release in January. The new sentence means he will not be released until late 2036, when he will be 40. Two months and two days of the 10-year term will run concurrently with his ongoing sentence.
Judge William Tam said he considered a 13-year prison sentence as a starting point but reduced it because of Wong's guilty plea and mitigation. Wong formally pleaded guilty on September 2.
The court sentenced Wong under the National Security Law for "conspiring to collude with foreign forces." The authorities accused him of conspiring with activist Nathan Law and other unknown individuals between 2016 and November 2020 to urge foreign governments to sanction Hong Kong and Chinese government officials as they advocated for Hong Kong's democratic self-determination.
Prosecutors said Wong and Law had conspired to lobby for foreign sanctions and blockades against Beijing. These activities took place between July and late November 2020, the court heard.
Wong and Law had been co-founders of Demosisto, a now defunct pro-democracy political party. The party disbanded on June 30, 2020, hours before the National Security Law came into effect.
The United States strongly condemned the sentencing and called for Wong's immediate release. The U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong said in a statement that Wong has been "unjustly imprisoned" since late 2020, showing that "Beijing will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate for fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong."
The UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office said the sentencing is a clear example of how the security law is being used to target individuals for political expression and participation.
Hong Kong leader John Lee said Wong, Law and their accomplices are among the "primary culprits responsible for undermining Hong Kong's prosperity and stability." Their actions "not only severely undermined national sovereignty, security, and development interests, but also directly prejudiced the well-being of the general public and the stability of society," Lee said in a statement issued after the ruling.
Beijing's foreign ministry said China "firmly supports [Hong Kong] in safeguarding national security in accordance with the law."
Human Rights Watch described the sentence as "cruel and unjust." Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said: "The harsh sentence on baseless charges against Joshua Wong is cruel and unjust."
Wong is among hundreds of campaigners and ordinary Hongkongers arrested under the national security law, which was imposed in 2020 following explosive pro-democracy protests against Beijing's growing control. Critics say the far-reaching law has silenced dissent, but authorities argue that it is needed to maintain stability and deny it has weakened the city's cherished autonomy.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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