Hong Kong’s High Court has jailed pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong for an additional 10 years, according to Al Jazeera. The sentence was handed down on Thursday after Wong pleaded guilty to colluding with foreign forces under the national security law.
The court found Wong guilty of colluding with foreign entities in violation of the national security law, Al Jazeera reported. Judge William Tam imposed the additional 10 years.
Wong was accused of conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and others to ask foreign countries, bodies or individuals to impose sanctions or blockades, or take other hostile action, against the government, according to Al Jazeera.
Tam said he had considered a 13-year starting point and reduced it to 10 because of Wong’s guilty plea and mitigation, Al Jazeera reported. Wong pleaded guilty in September.
Euronews reported that Wong was previously expected to be freed in January 2027. The new sentence pushes his release to late 2036.
The United States consulate in Hong Kong said it "strongly condemns" the sentence and called for Wong’s immediate release, according to DW.
Human Rights Watch called the sentence "cruel and unjust," and Amnesty International said it showed the national security law had become a tool to punish dissent, according to Al Jazeera.
China’s foreign ministry spokesman, Guo Jiakun, warned against "irresponsible" remarks on Hong Kong’s judicial affairs, according to Euronews and DW. Al Jazeera reported that Taiwan also criticised the sentence.
Wong was jailed in 2020 over his role in the 2019 protests against an extradition bill. In 2024, he pleaded guilty to inciting and organising an unauthorised assembly, according to Al Jazeera.
DW reported that the new conviction came while Wong serves a separate subversion term over an unofficial 2020 primary. He was among the Hong Kong 47 activists. The sources differ on the length of that existing term. DW says he is serving a "nearly five-year" term, while Euronews says he was serving four years and eight months.
The Hong Kong government and police have not issued a statement beyond a police official’s welcome, which Euronews quoted. Nathan Law has not responded, and the sources do not report whether Wong will appeal. They also do not say whether his earlier sentence and the new term are being served consecutively, beyond the release date figures.
Wong now faces release no earlier than late 2036, according to Euronews and DW. The sources report no appeal or further hearings.
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This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.