Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday, 5 November, after pleading guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign countries or external elements to endanger national security.
The new sentence comes shortly before the scheduled end of his existing prison term and has prompted renewed criticism from Amnesty International.
What the court decided
Public broadcaster RTHK reported that High Court Judge William Tam set an initial sentence of 13 years, reducing it by three years for Wong’s guilty plea and mitigating circumstances.
The court treated the offence as grave. According to RTHK’s account of the ruling, it concerned continued efforts to seek foreign sanctions or other hostile measures against China and Hong Kong after the national security law took effect.
Two months and two days of the new sentence will run at the same time as Wong’s existing sentence in a separate subversion case, RTHK reported.
A second national security conviction
Wong had already received a four-year, eight-month sentence in 2024 in a case concerning an unofficial primary election held in 2020.
Amnesty International said that earlier term was scheduled to end in January 2027. The organisation described Thursday’s ruling as his second national security conviction.
Government defence and rights criticism
Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee defended the outcome. In a statement reported by RTHK, he accused Wong of repeatedly breaking the law and undermining the city’s stability. A government spokesperson said the sentence demonstrated the authorities’ determination to protect national security.
Amnesty International disputed that justification. Its deputy regional director, Sarah Brooks, characterised the prosecution as punishment for dissent and called for Wong’s national security convictions to be overturned.
Sources: RTHK’s court report; RTHK’s report of the government response; Amnesty International’s statement.
