The Hong Kong High Court sentenced Joshua Wong to ten years in prison on Thursday, 5 November, for conspiracy to collude with foreign forces. The pro-democracy activist pleaded guilty on September 2. This is his second conviction under the National Security Act imposed by Beijing in 2020.
Joshua Wong, 30 years old and detained since 2020, was already serving a sentence of four years and eight months for conspiracy to subvert, linked to his participation in unofficial primaries in the Democratic camp. He was supposed to be out in January 2027.
A new sentence, with two months of overlap
Judge William Tam ordered that the remainder of the first sentence, approximately two months, be executed at the same time as the new sentence. The decision therefore greatly prolongs his detention, but the 10-year period does not add fully to the remaining period.
In the second case, the prosecution dealt with steps taken with Nathan Law, now in exile, and others to obtain sanctions, blockades or other hostile measures against China and Hong Kong. The charges were brought between July and November 2020, after the Act came into force.
In a press release issued on Thursday, the Hong Kong government states that the court held the seriousness of the facts. He mentioned contacts with foreign officials and the dissemination of calls for sanctions on social networks and in the media. The chief executive, John Lee, defended the conviction, accusing Joshua Wong and his allies of having damaged the stability of the territory.
Convictions Abroad
The United States denounced the judgement and called for the immediate release of the activist, according to a statement from their consulate in Hong Kong reported by the international press. Amnesty International sees this as another example of the use of the National Security Act to suppress dissent. The Hong Kong authorities reject these criticisms and claim that the prosecution is based on evidence and law.
Joshua Wong made himself known as a teenager during student mobilizations. He became one of the faces of the umbrella movement in 2014, and later co-founded the Demosisto party, dissolved in 2020 when the National Security Act was passed.
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