Hong Kong court sentences Joshua Wong to 10 years

A Hong Kong court sentenced pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison on Thursday for conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the national security law imposed by Beijing in 2020. Wong pleaded guilty in September. Prosecutors said he and others sought foreign sanctions or other hostile measures against the Hong Kong and Chinese governments.

High Court judge William Tam said the sentence reflected the gravity of the offence while taking account of Wong’s plea, remorse and education work in prison. Wong has been detained since November 2020 and was already serving four years and eight months in a separate national-security case connected to an unofficial primary election. He had been due for release in January 2027 before the latest prosecution.

Beijing and Hong Kong officials say the security law restored stability after the 2019 protests. Rights groups and foreign governments argue that it has sharply narrowed political opposition and civil liberties. The sentence is a court judgment, not an allegation; the wider dispute concerns the law itself and the treatment of political advocacy under it.