HONG KONG — Prominent pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday under a Beijing-imposed national security statute, extending his time behind bars just months before he was due to complete an earlier term.
High Court Judge William Tam handed down the punishment after Wong pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. Wong, 30, was already serving a four-year, eight-month sentence tied to an unofficial democratic primary election and had been slated for release in January 2027.
Tam ruled Thursday that Wong would serve the remaining two months of his earlier conviction concurrently with the fresh 10-year penalty, the Associated Press reported.
Court cites foreign lobbying
In his decision, Tam described the offense as grave and rejected arguments that Wong played a minor role, calling him a central figure in the conspiracy. Tam noted he initially weighed a 13-year sentence before reducing it in recognition of Wong’s guilty plea and mitigation submissions.
“The punishment must fit the gravity of the crime committed,” Tam wrote, according to the New York Post. The judge added that the court needed to demonstrate the public’s abhorrence of collusion with external forces and maintain deterrence.
Prosecutors alleged that Wong and self-exiled activist Nathan Law formed an agreement starting around 2016 to push internationally for democratic self-determination. Authorities said Wong continued his efforts after the 2020 enactment of the national security law by using foreign press interviews and social media postings to encourage foreign governments to impose sanctions, blockades or other measures against mainland China and Hong Kong.
Wong remained calm during the proceeding and thanked onlookers before court officers escorted him out, while supporters waved and some broke into tears, news outlets reported.
Reflections from prison
In a written statement from prison obtained by The Associated Press, Wong said his political involvement was never fueled by hostility toward Chinese or local authorities, maintaining that he never backed Hong Kong independence. He explained that he believed at the time that his actions complied with the law, only later recognizing his misjudgment.
Wong noted that across nearly six years of confinement, he enrolled in university coursework and read hundreds of books while working to become more compassionate and responsible. Derek Chan, his attorney, had appealed to the court for a measure of hope, explaining that Wong intended to care for his parents upon release.
Steve Li, chief superintendent of the police national security division, welcomed the sentencing, telling reporters he hoped Wong would use the opportunity to cultivate respect for the law and better understand China.
Global backlash and legal scrutiny
Wong first gained international attention as a 15-year-old student organizer in 2012 when he led successful protests against government plans to introduce patriotic national education courses. He later emerged as a central figure in the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests calling for open elections.
Thursday’s sentencing drew swift condemnation from human rights organizations and foreign governments. A spokesperson for the U.S. Consulate in Hong Kong said American officials strongly condemned the penalty and demanded Wong’s immediate release, calling his detention unjust in comments reported by Agence France-Presse.
Taiwan’s mainland policy agency also criticized the ruling, accusing authorities of using authoritarian tools to carry out political persecution against peaceful campaigners. Amnesty International described the decision as another illustration of how security laws have been applied to silence dissenting voices, while Human Rights Watch called the sentence cruel and unfounded.
Legal scholars observed that the additional prosecution highlights how broadly the security framework can be applied. Eric Lai, a research fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, told reporters that authorities can repeatedly use such charges to prolong the imprisonment of prominent figures.
It remains uncertain whether Wong’s legal team plans an appeal of the sentence length, or how the ongoing enforcement of security legislation will affect other detained activists awaiting trial in the city.
