Joshua Wong receives 10 more years in Hong Kong security case

By Grace Kim

A Hong Kong court sentenced pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong to 10 more years in prison on Thursday for colluding with foreign powers, extending his release date to late 2036. The 30-year-old, one of the movement’s most globally recognized figures, had already spent almost six years behind bars, in and out of jail since 2017.

What did the court decide?

The case was his second punishment under the law. Hong Kong authorities used the same national security law to charge Wong in June last year with colluding with countries and entities to have sanctions imposed on Hong Kong and China. He pleaded guilty and faced a possible life term.

The court set “an appropriate starting point” of 13 years, then reduced the term because of Wong’s guilty plea. He had already served four years and eight months for subversion and was due for release in January. The added term means he will remain jailed until late 2036.

Takeaway: The court treated sanctions advocacy as foreign-power collusion and added a decade to Wong’s term.

What does the ruling mean for practitioners?

For defense practitioners, the immediate lesson is that overseas sanctions advocacy and contact with foreign states or entities can create national-security exposure, not merely political controversy. Wong’s lobbying supported a 13-year starting point. Counsel must distinguish personal political activity from alleged foreign influence and develop mitigation around the most serious facts. The immediate consequence is enforcement exposure rather than a reported change in legal standards.

Takeaway: The sentence raises exposure for lawyers handling foreign-facing advocacy and political activity.

How did sanctions lobbying lead to the case?

Authorities linked the new charge to a sanctions campaign that began before Hong Kong’s 2020 security law took effect and continued through Wong’s international advocacy for the United States bill.

• 2014: Wong rose to prominence during the Umbrella Movement, the earlier protests that made him one of Hong Kong’s most recognizable democracy activists.
• 2016: He began international lobbying by promoting legislation that would allow the U.S. president to impose sanctions over rights violations in Hong Kong.
• 2019: Wong joined a delegation to the United States during the year’s marches to lobby for the bill. The legislation eventually passed.
• 2020: Beijing imposed the sweeping national security law, which the report said quashed dissent. It prompted opposition groups to disband and activists to flee Hong Kong. Wong vowed to keep defending his home until the authorities silenced him.
• 2024: Wong joined dozens of pro-democracy figures jailed for subversion in Hong Kong’s largest national security trial. Some defendants in that group have since been released.

Takeaway: The prosecution linked Wong’s prison term to his campaign for U.S. sanctions.

What happened at sentencing?

With a heavy police presence at the court, Wong entered the dock calmly in a blue shirt and black glasses, nodded to supporters, and later thanked and waved to them as he left. In a mitigation letter to the court, Wong wrote that “his future would not be defined by the past” and called his years behind bars the “most profound lessons” of his life. Some supporters wept and said they would wait for his release.

Takeaway: The court appearance drew a heavy police presence and visible support from Wong’s backers.

How did governments and supporters react?

The United States said the new sentence showed China was prepared to go to extraordinary lengths to silence advocates for fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong, while Britain, the European Union, Taiwan and Western human rights groups also condemned the move. Beijing said it supported cracking down on acts that endangered national security.

Britain’s Foreign Office called the sentencing a clear example of the law being used to target people for political expression and participation. An EU spokesman deplored the exceptionally long term. Taiwan criticized the endless political persecution of Hong Kong activists. The U.N. rights office said continued harsh penalties disturbed it and expressed concern about the sustained suppression of civic space.

Before sentencing, Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London, said Wong’s treatment showed there was no scope for returning to the more relaxed days before the law. Nathan Law, a fellow student leader in self-imposed exile who is wanted by authorities, called Wong’s fate incredibly sad and the additional term a farce.

Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee defended the sentence, saying Wong showed an “utter disregard for the law.” Margaret Chan, a 61-year-old retiree and long-time Wong supporter, said she was too heartbroken and that he would be in his middle age when released.

ET Wong, a housewife unconnected to Joshua Wong, said he had given everything for Hong Kong and described his contribution as entirely selfless.

Takeaway: Governments and rights groups split between condemning the sentence and defending Hong Kong’s security policy.