On Nov. 5, prominent pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to “conspiring to collude with foreign forces” under Hong Kong’s Beijing-imposed national security law. The controversial law was enacted following months of pro-democracy protests, and has been criticized for curtailing political freedoms, suppressing dissent, and eroding the civil liberties once guaranteed under Hong Kong’s “one country, two systems” framework.
The 30-year-old former secretary-general of the now-disbanded political party Demosistō has been imprisoned since November 2020. He had been expected to complete his existing sentence in January 2027, but the latest ruling could keep him behind bars until approximately 2036, when he will be nearly 40.
Wong pleaded guilty in September to conspiring with fellow activist Nathan Law and others to seek foreign sanctions against Chinese and Hong Kong officials in 2020. Law, a former Demosistō chairman and legislator, fled Hong Kong before the national security law took effect on June 30, 2020.
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Court deems offense ‘grave’
High Court Judge William Tam ruled that Wong’s actions constituted an offense of a “grave nature” under Article 29 of the national security law. According to the Hong Kong government’s official account, prosecutors accused Wong and Law of coordinating an international campaign to encourage foreign governments to impose sanctions, blockades, or other punitive measures against Beijing and Hong Kong.
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The court found that though their roles differed, both activists were instrumental in the campaign. Law continued meeting foreign officials and advocating sanctions overseas, while Wong remained in Hong Kong, expressing support through international media interviews, public statements, and social media posts.
The judge also cited Hong Kong’s political unrest following the 2019 pro-democracy protests, arguing that the activists’ actions aggravated the challenges facing Beijing and local authorities. Tam established a starting sentence of 13 years, reducing it by three years to account for Wong’s guilty plea and mitigation.
The resulting 10-year term represents the minimum sentence for offenses classified as serious under the national security law, which provides penalties ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. Less serious cases carry sentences of three to 10 years. Only two months and two days of Wong’s new sentence will run concurrently with his existing prison term, substantially extending his time behind bars.
Taiwan condemns ruling
Taiwan’s Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) strongly condemned the sentence, accusing Beijing and Hong Kong authorities of using national security legislation to suppress political dissent and freedom of expression. In a statement issued Nov. 5, the council said Wong had been imprisoned for more than 2,000 days and faced repeated prosecutions linked to his involvement in Hong Kong’s democracy movement.
It accused the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and Hong Kong authorities of fabricating charges and pursuing endless political prosecutions against democracy advocates, undermining the city’s international reputation and foundations of the rule of law.
The council called on authorities to end political persecution, stop using national security legislation to prosecute peaceful dissent, and release those it said were unjustly detained. Human Rights Watch also condemned the ruling, describing the charges as baseless and calling for Wong’s immediate and unconditional release.
Hong Kong authorities, however, have defended the national security law as necessary to restore stability following the widespread anti-government protests of 2019.
From student activist to political prisoner
Wong first gained international attention as a teenager in 2012, when he helped organize student-led protests against plans to introduce compulsory national education classes that critics feared would promote Beijing’s political ideology. The government later withdrew the proposed curriculum.
In 2014, Wong became one of the most recognizable figures of Hong Kong’s Umbrella Movement, which demanded greater democratic representation and genuine universal suffrage. Two years later, he helped establish Demosistō alongside Nathan Law and other activists. The party advocated greater political autonomy and democratic reforms before disbanding in June 2020, shortly before Beijing imposed the national security law.
Wong remained active during the 2019 protests against a proposed extradition bill that critics warned could expose Hong Kong residents to prosecution in mainland China. In December 2020, he was sentenced to 13½ months in prison over an unauthorized assembly connected to those protests.
He also faced further prosecutions, including the landmark case involving 47 pro-democracy figures accused of conspiring to commit subversion by organizing an unofficial legislative primary election.
In November 2024, Wong received a four-year, eight-month sentence in that case. While serving his sentence, he was arrested again in June 2025 over the separate foreign-collusion allegations that led to the Nov. 5 ruling.
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