Joshua Wong Gets 10-Year Hong Kong Prison Sentence

Joshua Wong stood before a Hong Kong court on Thursday as a judge handed down a 10-year prison sentence for his second conviction under the city’s national security law. The ruling marks a major development in the long-running case against the 30-year-old activist, who has become a central figure in the local pro-democracy movement.

Wong pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. Judge William Tam noted that the offense was of a grave nature and rejected arguments that Wong’s role was limited. The judge said he initially considered a 13-year term but reduced the sentence because of the guilty plea. Wong will serve this new term concurrently with a previous four-year, eight-month sentence he is already serving.

The concurrent sentencing means Wong has roughly two months left on his current term before the new 10-year count begins. He had been scheduled for release in January 2027 from his first conviction, which stemmed from the city’s largest national security case linked to an unofficial primary election. By serving the sentences at the same time, the total time he spends in prison for these two charges will be approximately 10 years rather than 14 years and eight months.

The prosecution alleged that Wong and fellow activist Nathan Law agreed in or around 2016 to lobby internationally for democratic self-determination. They accused the pair of calling for sanctions and other adverse measures against Hong Kong and China before the security law was enacted. The court pointed to meetings Wong held with U.S. politicians, including Nancy Pelosi and Marco Rubio, in 2016 and 2019 as evidence of these efforts.

After the law was passed, the prosecution said Law and others continued their work abroad by meeting foreign politicians and launching petition drives. Wong supported these efforts from within Hong Kong by using foreign media outlets and social media to draw international attention. The goal, according to the prosecution, was to bolster requests for sanctions, blockades, or other hostile measures against China.

Wong’s lawyer, Derek Chan, urged the court to impose a sentence that would give his client hope. Chan added that Wong wishes to care for his parents after his release. Friends said that during his nearly six years in prison, Wong kept reading books and exercising. They also noted that he taught himself guitar and matured in his thinking while behind bars.

Supporters gathered outside the court as Wong left the building. He looked calm and thanked the crowd before walking away. Tiffany Chin, a former member of Scholarism, a group once led by Wong, was in tears. ET Wong, a resident, told reporters that Wong possessed big-picture thinking as a teenager. She said he walked a difficult path for Hong Kong’s future and human rights, adding that in her heart he should not have spent a single day in wrongful imprisonment.