Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 more years in Hong Kong prison under security law

Sentence and plea

A Hong Kong court on Thursday, 5 November, sentenced Joshua Wong, 30, to 10 years in prison for colluding with foreign forces, a national security offense under the law China imposed on the territory in 2020. Judge William Tam said the offense was of a 'grave nature', which the law says must bring a sentence of no less than 10 years. Wong had pleaded guilty earlier in September, and the maximum penalty for the charge is life imprisonment. He was already serving time for subversion and was due to be freed early next year when he received the latest charges. The new term extends the six years he has already spent in custody.

The charges and the case

Prosecutors said Wong conspired with other campaigners, including the self-exiled activist Nathan Law, to lobby for foreign sanctions and blockades against Beijing. The court heard that these activities took place between July and late November 2020. Judge Tam said Wong and Law were the 'ringleaders' of a conspiracy to lobby foreign governments with 'blatant calls for sanctions and hostile measures', and that the severity of the punishment was needed to act as a deterrent. Wong was accused in 2025 of conspiring to lobby lawmakers, particularly in the United States, to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China. Wong and Law had co-founded Demosisto, a pro-democracy political party that no longer exists.

Scene in court

On Thursday Wong wore a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki trousers and black-rimmed glasses, and he looked slimmer than at his previous public appearances, according to the BBC. He nodded to the packed public gallery and took notes while the judge read out the reasons for the sentence. The New York Times reported that he appeared crestfallen as the sentence was announced, and that before police led him away he smiled at the public gallery and thanked everyone in Cantonese. Dozens of people had queued for hours for a seat in the gallery, and there was a heavy police presence outside the court.

Background and reaction

Wong, who was 14 in 2011, co-founded the pro-democracy student group Scholarism that year, and the group quickly grew in size and influence. The national security law was imposed in 2020 after explosive pro-democracy protests against Beijing's growing control, and hundreds of campaigners and ordinary Hongkongers have been arrested under it. Critics say the law has silenced dissent, while authorities argue it is needed to maintain stability and deny that it has weakened the city's autonomy. Amnesty International had earlier said the charges show how far authorities will go to keep prominent dissidents behind bars for as long as possible. Thomas Kellogg, executive director of the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said virtually all national security cases end in convictions, which has led more activists to plead guilty for a one-third sentence reduction as part of a 'harm reduction strategy'.