Joshua Wong Gets 10-Year Sentence in Hong Kong Security Case
The 30-year-old activist pleaded guilty to colluding with foreign forces, a charge that will merge with his current prison term.
By Mariam Saleh ·
Joshua Wong, a 30-year-old Hong Kong activist, received a 10-year prison sentence on Thursday for his second conviction under the city's national security law. The ruling comes from Judge William Tam, who described the offense as grave while noting that Wong’s guilty plea reduced the penalty from a starting point of 13 years.
Wong was charged in 2025 with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. He entered a guilty plea in September, a legal move that typically results in a shorter sentence. The prosecution alleged that Wong and fellow activist Nathan Law agreed around 2016 to lobby internationally for democratic self-determination. They reportedly met with U.S. politicians, including Nancy Pelosi and Marco Rubio, and called for sanctions against Hong Kong and China.
This new sentence will be served concurrently with an existing four-year, eight-month term. Wong is already serving that previous sentence for an unofficial primary case linked to the national security law. Before this latest prosecution, he was expected to be released in January 2027. Under the new order, he has roughly two months left on the previous term.
During the hearing, the judge rejected the argument that Wong’s role was limited. The prosecution emphasized that Wong used foreign media and social media from within Hong Kong to draw international attention to the request for hostile measures against China. They said his efforts included supporting petition drives launched by activists abroad.
Wong appeared calm as he left the court, thanking his supporters. Tiffany Chin, a former member of the disbanded Scholarism group led by Wong, was seen in tears. Resident ET Wong, a supporter, stated that Wong possessed big-picture thinking as a teenager and walked a difficult path for Hong Kong’s future. She said, "At least in my heart, he should not have spent a single day in wrongful imprisonment."
His lawyer, Derek Chan, had urged the court to impose a sentence that gave his client some hope, noting that Wong wishes to care for his parents after release. Friends reported that Wong has spent nearly six years in prison reading, exercising, and teaching himself guitar. Beijing views Wong as an anti-China figure who supports Hong Kong independence, a stance it considers a red line. Hong Kong authorities maintain the security law is essential for stability following the 2019 protests.
The case highlights the authorities' approach to dissent. Eric Lai, a research fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said NSL charges can be repeatedly used to keep specific political prisoners in jail if the government deems it necessary. Despite his imprisonment, Wong’s influence remains a concern for the pro-Beijing camp. A pro-Beijing newspaper recently criticized a 2017 Netflix documentary about Wong for beautifying his crimes, while the security bureau said it was taking follow-up action.
