Hong Kong Law: Joshua Wong Receives 10-Year Sentence

Joshua Wong, a prominent Hong Kong democracy activist, received a 10-year prison sentence on Thursday for colluding with foreign forces. The verdict under the city's national security law extends his time behind bars, pushing back a release date that was originally scheduled for January. Wong has been incarcerated for the past six years, and this new conviction adds to the duration of his imprisonment.

Wong pleaded guilty to the charges in September. Prosecutors alleged he conspired with fellow campaigners, including exiled activist Nathan Law, to seek foreign sanctions and blockades against Beijing between July and late November 2020. The judge ruled that two months and two days of the new sentence would run concurrently with the term Wong is already serving for subversion.

The 30-year-old appeared in court wearing a dark blue shirt, khaki trousers, and black-rimmed glasses. He nodded to people in the gallery and took notes while the judge explained the ruling. Outside the courthouse, dozens of supporters had waited for hours for seats amid a heavy police presence.

Beijing introduced the national security law in 2020 following major pro-democracy demonstrations. Critics argue the legislation has suppressed dissent, while authorities maintain it protects stability and reject claims that it has eroded Hong Kong's autonomy. Hundreds of activists and residents have been arrested under the law since its enactment.

Frances Hui, a friend of Wong and an activist now based in the United States, described the sentence as part of a political crackdown aimed at erasing a generation's contribution. Human Rights Watch labeled the ruling cruel and unjust. Elaine Pearson, the organization's Asia director, stated that authorities appear to be piling charges onto prominent campaigners to keep society subdued and limit international criticism.

Wong began his political career as a teenager, helping establish the student group Scholarism in 2011. The following year, the group mobilized more than 100,000 people against compulsory patriotic education in schools. He later co-founded the political party Demosisto in 2016 with Law and Agnes Chow, which dissolved in 2020. Wong was serving a 56-month sentence for subversion when the collusion charges were brought in 2025.

The 10-year term is the second longest imposed under the national security law. Former media tycoon Jimmy Lai received a 20-year prison term for similar charges of colluding with foreign forces.