Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 years in second national security case

Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday for his second conviction under the national security law imposed by Beijing. Wong, 30, had pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. Judge William Tam handed down the penalty during a hearing on Thursday morning.

Wong is already serving a four-year, eight-month prison term for his role in the city's largest national security case, which stemmed from an unofficial primary. Before facing the latest charge, he had been expected to be released in January 2027.

“NSL charges can be repeatedly weaponized to keep a specific political prisoner in jail, if the government deems necessary.”

Judge Tam described Wong's offence as grave and rejected the argument that his role was limited. He said he considered a 13-year sentence as a starting point but reduced it because of Wong's guilty plea. The judge also ruled that Wong could serve the two prison sentences concurrently.

Wong appeared calm in court and thanked his supporters before leaving. His supporters waved to him, while Tiffany Chin, a former member of the disbanded group Scholarism, which Wong once led, was in tears.

Critics say the case reflects a crackdown on Hong Kong's once-thriving pro-democracy movement. Beijing views Wong as an anti-China figure supporting independence, a position it considers a red line. Hong Kong authorities maintain that the security law is crucial for stability and that enforcement actions are evidence-based.

Eric Lai, a research fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said national security charges can be repeatedly used to keep a specific political prisoner in jail if the government deems it necessary.