Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 years for foreign collusion

Joshua Wong, 30, the activist who became the international face of Hong Kong's democracy movement, was sentenced on Thursday, Nov. 5, Hong Kong time, to 10 years in prison for conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the city's national security law. This is his second conviction under the law that Beijing imposed in 2020. He was already serving a subversion sentence and had been expected to go free in January.reuters.com+1

Judge Calls Wong a Ringleader

High Court Judge William Tam ruled that Wong's offense was of a "serious nature," which under the security law carries a minimum of 10 years. He said Wong and Nathan Law, an exiled activist now living in Britain, were the "ringleaders" of an effort to sway foreign governments through "blatant appeals for sanctions and aggressive measures," and that a heavy sentence was needed as a deterrent, The New York Times reported. The offense can carry life imprisonment. Wong looked downcast when the sentence was read, then turned to the gallery and said "thank you all" in Cantonese before officers led him away.nytimes.com

Foreign consuls attended the hearing, and dozens of police officers guarded the court. Supporters had lined up for hours hoping to get seats in the public gallery. Wong's lawyer had asked for a term of three to 10 years, pointing to the roughly six years Wong has already spent in prison.bbc.com+2

The Case Against Him

Prosecutors said that between July and November 2020, Wong conspired with Law and others to ask foreign countries and organizations to impose sanctions or blockades on Hong Kong and China. They cited his earlier meetings with U.S. politicians, including Nancy Pelosi and Marco Rubio, and his use of foreign media and social media after the law took effect. Wong and Law co-founded the now-disbanded party Demosisto, and the pair lobbied for measures such as the U.S. Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act. Wong was charged in June 2025 while in prison, and he pleaded guilty on Sept. 2.hongkongfp.com+3

A Pattern of Prosecutions

Wong has been in custody since November 2020. In 2024 he was sentenced to four years and eight months in the "Hong Kong 47" subversion case. Amnesty International said the new charge showed "the lengths they will go to keep them behind bars for as long as possible". Hong Kong authorities say the security law restored stability, and Beijing has called Wong a separatist.cnn.com+2

"NSL charges can be repeatedly weaponized to keep a specific political prisoner in jail, if the government deems necessary," said Eric Lai of the Georgetown Center for Asian Law.cp24.com