Joshua Wong, a prominent figure in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday for colluding with foreign forces under the city's national security law. The 30-year-old, who has been in custody for six years, is among hundreds arrested under the sweeping legislation imposed in 2020 following massive protests against Beijing's increasing control.
Court Appearance and Sentencing
Wong appeared in court wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki trousers, and black-rimmed glasses. He appeared slimmer than in previous public appearances, nodded to supporters in the packed gallery, and took notes as the judge read the sentencing reasons. Outside, dozens of Hongkongers queued for hours for a seat, and police maintained a heavy presence.
The judge ordered that two months and two days of the 10-year term be served concurrently with his existing sentence. Wong is already serving time for subversion and was due for release early next year when new charges were brought. He pleaded guilty in September to the collusion charge.
Prosecution Case
Prosecutors alleged that Wong conspired with other campaigners, including self-exiled activist Nathan Law, to lobby for foreign sanctions and blockades against Beijing between July and late November 2020. Wong and Law had co-founded Demosisto, a now-defunct pro-democracy party.
Amnesty International condemned the sentence, stating it "underscores the authorities' fear of prominent dissidents and shows the lengths they will go to keep them behind bars for as long as possible."
Early Activism
Born in October 1996 to an IT professional father and homemaker mother, Wong was diagnosed with dyslexia as a child. He first became involved in activism at 14, co-founding Scholarism, a pro-democracy student group. In 2012, the group rallied over 100,000 people against mandatory patriotic education, forcing authorities to back down.
By 2014, Wong was a leading figure in the Umbrella Movement, a civil disobedience campaign for democratic reforms. In 2016, he co-founded Demosisto with Law and Agnes Chow. He often rejected the label of "protest leader," telling the Financial Times in 2019, "We have a lot of facilitators in this movement and I'm one of them... Instead of having a top-down command, we now have a bottom-up command hub."
National Security Law and Legal Battles
Demosisto disbanded in 2020 when Beijing imposed the National Security Law. Wong attempted to run for the legislature but was barred, with authorities citing his opposition to the law. He was among 47 people charged with conspiracy to commit subversion in 2021, known as the Hong Kong 47, the largest prosecution under the NSL. He was already serving a 56-month sentence for subversion when charged with collusion last year.
In a November 2020 Instagram post, Wong wrote: "To be honest, I have never had much faith in Hong Kong's politics, but I have every confidence in the people of Hong Kong. Even as political power now poses a comprehensive challenge to the resilience of our civil society, I believe the people of Hong Kong will, as always, find a way to see things through."
The 10-year sentence is the second harshest under the NSL, following the 20-year term given to former media tycoon Jimmy Lai for colluding with foreign forces.
