Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to another 10 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces, extending his detention until late 2036 and marking another major development in the city’s crackdown on pro-democracy figures.
Wong, who became internationally known during Hong Kong’s 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, has spent almost six years behind bars. The latest sentence means he will remain in prison far longer than previously expected. Before the new case, he had been due for release in January after serving four years and eight months for subversion under Hong Kong’s national security law, introduced by Beijing in 2020.
Authorities charged Wong again in June last year under the same legislation, accusing him of working with foreign countries and organisations to secure sanctions against Hong Kong and China. The case centred on his involvement in international lobbying efforts during the city’s pro-democracy movement.
At Thursday’s sentencing, the court described Wong and fellow former student leader Nathan Law, who is living in self-imposed exile and remains wanted by Hong Kong authorities, as “two ring-leaders or masterminds” behind a conspiracy to endanger national security.
Judge William Tam said Wong could have faced life imprisonment because the offence was considered to be of a grave nature. However, the court set 13 years as the appropriate starting point before reducing the sentence to 10 years because Wong had pleaded guilty.
Wong, who turned 30 last month, appeared calm as he entered the courtroom wearing a blue shirt and black glasses. A heavy police presence surrounded the court, where he nodded towards supporters who had gathered to follow the proceedings.
In a mitigation letter seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP), Wong said he had hoped to leave prison in 2027. The latest charge, however, made him feel as though he had returned to the beginning of his legal ordeal.
He also wrote that his future would not be defined by events that had happened to him before 2020. Describing his years in prison as the “most profound lessons” of his life, Wong reflected on the experience despite the prospect of spending many more years behind bars.
Following the sentencing, he thanked his supporters and waved as he left the courtroom. Some people in the crowd were visibly emotional, with several heard saying, “We’ll be waiting for your release.”
The sentence has drawn criticism from international human rights organisations and renewed attention to the political changes in Hong Kong since Beijing introduced its national security legislation.
Human Rights Watch described the punishment as “cruel and unjust” and called on foreign governments to impose targeted sanctions on officials it considers responsible for increasing repression in the territory.
Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London, said before the sentencing that Wong’s case demonstrated Beijing’s continued control over Hong Kong. Speaking to AFP, he said there was little prospect of a return to the more relaxed political environment that existed before 2019.
Hong Kong police took a different position. Steve Li, chief superintendent of the National Security Department, welcomed the court’s decision, saying it showed that Wong’s efforts to encourage foreign sanctions had been futile.
China also responded to international criticism after the United States condemned the sentence. Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun warned against what he called “irresponsible” comments on Hong Kong’s judicial affairs, urging other countries to respect China’s sovereignty and the territory’s legal system.
Wong’s political profile dates back to the Umbrella Movement in 2014, when student-led demonstrations demanded greater democratic freedoms and political accountability in Hong Kong. He was one of the movement’s most recognisable young figures and has faced repeated arrests and imprisonment since 2017.
Hong Kong authorities said his international lobbying efforts began as early as 2016, when he promoted the proposed Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act in the United States. The legislation would allow the US president to impose sanctions in response to human rights violations in the territory.
During the large pro-democracy demonstrations in 2019, Wong travelled to the United States as part of a delegation seeking support for the proposed legislation. The bill was eventually passed by the US Congress and signed into law.
The political situation changed significantly the following year when Beijing imposed the national security law on Hong Kong. The legislation criminalised acts including secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Its introduction was followed by the closure of opposition groups, the departure of several activists from the territory and a series of prosecutions against prominent pro-democracy figures.
Wong had previously vowed to continue defending Hong Kong, saying he would do so until he was silenced.
He was among dozens of democracy activists and political figures convicted of subversion in 2024 in Hong Kong’s largest national security trial. Some of those convicted have since been released, while others remain in prison.
The latest sentence places Wong among the most heavily punished figures in Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. His case also highlights the continuing legal consequences for activists whose political activities included seeking international support and pressure over the territory’s democratic freedoms.
