The Merit Newspaper Correspondent
Hong Kong -November 5, 2026
Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison for conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the territory’s national security law.
The 30-year-old activist was sentenced on Thursday, November 5, 2026, by the Hong Kong High Court after pleading guilty to the charge in September.
Wong, who gained international recognition during the 2014 Umbrella Movement protests, has already spent almost six years in detention and is now expected to remain behind bars until late 2036.
The latest conviction is his second under the national security legislation imposed by Beijing in 2020, following his earlier conviction for conspiracy to commit subversion.
He was previously sentenced to four years and eight months in prison in 2024 for his involvement in an unofficial opposition primary election held in 2020. His release had been expected in January 2027 before the latest case.
According to prosecutors, Wong conspired with exiled activist Nathan Law and other individuals between July and November 2020 to encourage foreign governments and organisations to impose sanctions, blockades and other hostile measures against Hong Kong and China.
The prosecution alleged that Wong and his associates continued their international lobbying activities after the national security law came into effect, seeking foreign intervention against the Chinese territory and its officials.
Delivering the judgment, High Court Judge William Tam said the punishment must reflect the gravity of the offence. The court initially considered a 13-year sentence but reduced it by three years in recognition of Wong’s guilty plea and other mitigating circumstances.
The sentence was below the maximum possible punishment of life imprisonment under the national security legislation. Two months and two days of the new sentence will run concurrently with his existing prison term.
During the court proceedings, Wong maintained that he had never advocated Hong Kong’s independence or promoted the overthrow of the Chinese government. He also denied receiving foreign funding or hiring foreign political consultants.
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However, he acknowledged that he had mistakenly believed his political activities were within the law.
The sentencing has attracted international reactions, with human rights organisations expressing concern over the implications for political freedom and dissent in Hong Kong.
Amnesty International described the 10-year sentence as cruel and said the latest conviction demonstrated the continued use of national security legislation against pro-democracy activists.
Human Rights Watch also condemned the punishment and called on foreign governments to take action over what it described as the growing repression of political opposition in Hong Kong.
China, however, has defended the national security legislation, maintaining that it is necessary to protect national security, maintain stability and safeguard the sovereignty of the country.
Wong rose to prominence as a student activist during the 2014 Umbrella Movement, a series of pro-democracy demonstrations that demanded greater democratic rights and electoral reforms in Hong Kong.
He later became one of the most recognisable faces of the city’s pro-democracy movement, participating in international advocacy efforts and engaging foreign lawmakers on developments in Hong Kong.
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His latest sentencing adds to a series of lengthy prison terms handed to prominent opposition figures under the national security legislation, further drawing international attention to the political and judicial situation in the Chinese territory.
