Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 years in prison

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after being convicted of colluding with foreign forces under the city’s national security law.

Wong, 30, became an internationally recognised figure during Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement and was among the young activists who organised demonstrations against the government in 2019.

The High Court handed down the sentence on Thursday, with Judge William Tam saying the punishment reflected the seriousness of the offence. He described Wong’s alleged actions with other activists to seek foreign intervention as unacceptable and said the court had to demonstrate society’s condemnation of attempts to undermine national security.

Wong was accused of working with exiled activist Nathan Law and others to encourage foreign governments, organisations and individuals to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile measures against China and Hong Kong.

He pleaded guilty to the charge in September. Prosecutors alleged that Wong and members of Demosisto, a now-disbanded political party he helped lead, had conducted an international political and media campaign in 2019 and 2020 to secure foreign sanctions against Beijing and Hong Kong authorities.

The judge said Wong’s meetings with politicians from the United States, Europe and other countries were relevant to understanding the background of the case, although the national security law itself was not applied retrospectively.

Wong has been in detention since November 2020. He was initially jailed after admitting to inciting and organising an unauthorised anti-government assembly during the 2019 protests. He had been expected to complete that sentence and be released next year.

The national security law was introduced by Beijing in 2020 following months of demonstrations in Hong Kong, some of which turned violent. The legislation criminalises acts including secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces.

Chinese authorities have defended the law, saying it was necessary to restore stability and protect national security in the former British colony.

However, Wong’s conviction and sentence are being closely monitored by international human rights organisations and Western governments, which have raised concerns about the law’s impact on political freedoms and dissent in Hong Kong.