In short
- Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces under the city’s national security law.
- Wong, who turned 30 last month, has already spent six years in jail and had been due to be released in January.
- Prosecutors said Wong conspired with self-exiled activist Nathan Law to lobby for foreign sanctions and blockades against Beijing between July and late November 2020.
- The judge said two months and two days of the 10-year term will be served concurrently with the sentence Wong is already serving for subversion.
- Former media tycoon Jimmy Lai holds the longest sentence under the law so far, 20 years, also for colluding with foreign forces.
Joshua Wong, the Hong Kong pro-democracy campaigner, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces under the city’s national security law. Wong, who turned 30 last month, has already spent six years in jail and had been due to be released in January.
What was Joshua Wong convicted of?
Prosecutors said Wong conspired with other campaigners, including the self-exiled activist Nathan Law, to lobby for foreign sanctions and blockades against Beijing. The court heard that the activities took place between July and late November 2020. Wong and Law were co-founders of Demosisto, a pro-democracy political party that has since disbanded. Wong pleaded guilty to the charge in September.
How long will he spend in prison?
The judge said two months and two days of the 10-year term will be served concurrently with the sentence Wong is already serving for subversion. He was due to be freed early next year when the collusion charges were brought against him. Wong arrived in court wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki trousers and black-rimmed glasses, and nodded to the packed public gallery as the judge read out the reasons for the sentence.
How has the ruling been received?
Frances Hui, a friend and fellow activist now based in the United States, told the BBC she was “heartbroken” and “outraged”. “Today’s sentencing is not just about Joshua. It is part of a broader political crackdown that seeks to rewrite a chapter of Hong Kong’s history and erase the contributions of an entire generation who believed they could shape the future of their city,” she said.
Human Rights Watch called the ruling “cruel and unjust”. Elaine Pearson, the organisation’s Asia director, said the Hong Kong government “appears to have adopted the tactic of stacking charges against influential pro-democracy leaders” to keep society subdued and reduce the chance of an international outcry. The heaviest penalty handed down under the national security law so far went to former media tycoon Jimmy Lai, who was jailed for 20 years, also for colluding with foreign forces.
Who is Joshua Wong?
Wong was born in October 1996 to Roger, an IT professional, and Grace, a homemaker, and was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. In 2011, aged 14, he co-founded the pro-democracy student group Scholarism. The following year the group rallied more than 100,000 people against plans for mandatory “patriotic education” in schools, forcing the authorities to back down. By 2014 he was at the forefront of the civil disobedience campaign known as the Umbrella Movement, and in 2016 he co-founded Demosisto with Law and Agnes Chow, an activist who is now also in exile.
What is Hong Kong’s national security law?
Hong Kong’s national security law was imposed in 2020, after large pro-democracy protests against Beijing’s growing control over the city. Critics say the law has silenced dissent; the authorities argue it is needed to maintain stability and deny that it has weakened the city’s autonomy. Wong is among hundreds of campaigners and other Hong Kong residents arrested under the legislation.
Frequently asked questions
How long was Joshua Wong sentenced to?
Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces under Hong Kong’s national security law. Two months and two days of that term will be served concurrently with the subversion sentence he is already serving.
What is Joshua Wong known for?
Wong co-founded the student activist group Scholarism in 2011 and the pro-democracy party Demosisto in 2016, and was a leading figure in Hong Kong’s 2014 Umbrella Movement.
What is Hong Kong’s national security law?
The national security law was imposed in 2020 after pro-democracy protests against Beijing’s growing control over the city. Critics say it has silenced dissent, while authorities say it is needed to maintain stability.
Who has received the longest sentence under Hong Kong’s national security law?
Former media tycoon Jimmy Lai was jailed for 20 years for colluding with foreign forces, the harshest penalty handed down under the law so far.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)