Hong Kong sentences pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison

The pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, one of the leading symbols of resistance to the growing control of China over Hong Kong, was sentenced on Thursday to 10 years in prison for conspiring to collude with foreign forces, under the controversial National Security Law imposed by Beijing in 2020.

According to reports Reuters and Associated Press (AP), Wong, 30, had pleaded guilty in September to participating in a conspiracy to seek international sanctions against the governments of China and Hong Kong.

The indictment alleges that in 2020, the activist collaborated with Nathan Law, another prominent exiled opposition figure, and others to urge foreign governments and organizations to impose sanctions, blockades, or other measures against Chinese authorities.

During the hearing, Superior Court Judge William Tam defended the severity of the sentence and argued that the sentence should reflect the gravity of the crimes against national security.

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From student leader to symbol of opposition to Beijing

Wong rose to international prominence while still a teenager, becoming one of the main leaders of the 2014 Umbrella Revolution, a movement that called for democratic elections and greater autonomy for Hong Kong.

He later helped found the pro-democracy party Demosistō and publicly advocated for the need to secure international support in the face of Beijing's growing political restrictions.

The activist has been in prison since 2020 and had already received a sentence of four years and eight months for his participation in unofficial primary elections organized by the democratic opposition. That sentence was scheduled to end in 2027, but the new sentence will significantly extend his incarceration.

A law that has transformed Hong Kong

The new sentence comes amid a crackdown on opposition leaders, journalists, and pro-democracy organizations since China imposed the National Security Law in June 2020.

Beijing maintains that the legislation is necessary to ensure stability and prevent foreign interference. However, human rights organizations and Western governments denounce that it has been used to restrict freedom of expression and dismantle much of the political opposition.

The ruling against Wong follows other high-profile sentences, such as the 20-year prison term imposed in February 2026 on the businessman and founder of the newspaper Apple Daily, Jimmy Lai, in February 2026 for crimes related to national security and sedition.

Wong's case once again brings the future of political freedoms in Hong Kong, a former British colony that returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1997 under the "one country, two systems" principle, designed to preserve a high degree of autonomy.