United States and nine allies demand an end to unjust prosecutions in Hong Kong after the sentencing of pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong
The signatories stated that the National Security Law is being used "to target individuals for political expression and participation."
Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong
The United States, the United Kingdom, France and seven other countries demanded an end to legal persecution under the National Security Law of Hong Kong, after pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison for "foreign collusion."
The U.S. calls for their immediate release
Ten governments—the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Canada, Australia, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands and New Zealand—issued a joint statement joint to condemn the verdict and demand an end to the legal proceedings they consider unfair.
The signatories asserted that the National Security Law is being used "to target individuals for political expression and participation." They also called on China and Hong Kong to respect international commitments and the rights recognized in the Sino-British Joint Declaration of 1984.
Washington went further and called for Wong's immediate release. The U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong condemned the new sentence and argued that the city's courts are being used to advance political repression.
Rep. John Moolenaar (R-Mich.), chairman of the House Select Committee on China, also condemned the sentence imposed on Joshua Wong and called him a "hero."
"Joshua Wong is a hero who has stood up to an authoritarian superpower. Joshua only pleaded guilty to the baseless charge of foreign collusion because of the CCP's [Chinese Communist Party] systematic erosion of Hong Kong's judicial independence. In return, the CCP has effectively sentenced him under its repressive National Security Law," said Moolenaar.
Conviction sets off alarm bells
Wong, 30, one of the most recognizable faces of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, was sentenced Thursday by the Hong Kong High Court to an additional 10 years in prison. The activist was already serving a previous sentence and has been in custody since 2020.
The new conviction stems from a charge of conspiracy to collude with foreign entities, as provided for in the National Security Law imposed by the Chinese communist regime in 2020. The indictment alleges that Wong and the exiled activist Nathan Law advocated for sanctions and hostile measures against Hong Kong and China before foreign governments and institutions.
Judge William Tam deemed the offense "extremely serious," set an initial sentence of 13 years, and reduced it to 10 years following Wong's guilty plea.
Wong: A symbol of resistance
Organizations such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International, along with lawmakers from the United States, the United Kingdom and other countries, have claimed that the case demonstrates how the National Security Law imposed by Beijing is systematically used to silence political opponents and punish political expression and participation.
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