Joshua Wong Faces Second National Security Sentence in Hong Kong
The 30-year-old activist pleads guilty to colluding with foreign forces and will hear his penalty on Thursday.
By Camila Herrera ·
Joshua Wong, a 30-year-old Hong Kong activist, will be sentenced Thursday for his second conviction under the city's national security law. The ruling comes as part of a case that observers view as a test of how long Beijing intends to keep prominent figures behind bars. Wong pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. His potential prison term ranges from three years to life. A guilty plea typically results in a reduced sentence compared to a contested trial.
Wong is already serving a four-year and eight-month sentence for a separate national security case linked to an unofficial primary election. He entered a guilty plea in that earlier case. Before the current prosecution began, officials expected to release him from that term in January 2027. The new sentencing will determine how much of his remaining time he will spend in custody and when he might finally be released.
The legal proceedings began in 2025 when Wong was charged with the current count. The prosecution alleged that Wong and fellow activist Nathan Law agreed in or around 2016 to lobby internationally for democratic self-determination. They claimed the pair called for sanctions and other adverse measures against Hong Kong and China before the security law was introduced. The prosecution cited Wong's meetings with U.S. politicians Nancy Pelosi and Marco Rubio in 2016 and 2019 as evidence of these efforts.
After the law was enacted, the prosecution said Law and others continued their work abroad by meeting foreign politicians and launching petition drives. Wong, according to the case, supported these efforts from within Hong Kong using foreign media outlets and social media. The goal was to draw international attention to the region and bolster requests for sanctions or blockades against China and Hong Kong.
Judge William Tam is scheduled to hand down the penalty Thursday morning. Public interest in the case has drawn crowds to the court. Some members of the public began queuing outside the building as early as Tuesday to secure seats in the public gallery. The sentencing marks a key moment in the ongoing reduction of civic space in the city since the 2019 anti-government protests.
Authorities in Hong Kong have reduced public choice in elections and arrested many leading activists since 2019. Dozens of civil society groups have dissolved, and several news outlets known for critical reporting have shut down. Eric Lai, a research fellow at the Georgetown Center for Asian Law, stated that national security law charges can be repeatedly weaponized to keep specific political prisoners in jail if the government deems it necessary.
Beijing views Wong as an anti-China figure who supports Hong Kong independence. This stance crosses a red line for the central government. Hong Kong authorities maintain that the security law is essential for the city's stability following the 2019 unrest. They assert that law enforcement actions are evidence-based.
Wong's defense lawyer, Derek Chan, urged the court to impose a sentence that gives his client hope. Chan noted that Wong wishes to take care of his parents after his release. Friends of the activist said that during his nearly six years in prison, Wong has continued reading books, exercising, and teaching himself guitar.
Wong represents a younger generation born in the final years of British colonial rule before the city returned to China in 1997. Despite his incarceration, his influence remains a concern for the pro-Beijing camp. A pro-Beijing newspaper criticized a 2017 Netflix documentary about Wong in September for beautifying his crimes. The city's security bureau told local media that the government was taking follow-up action on the matter.
The documentary subsequently reached the top of Netflix's popular chart in Hong Kong. This surge in viewership occurred while Wong awaited his sentencing. The case highlights the continued scrutiny placed on the activist's public profile even while he is in custody.
