Prominent Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in prison Thursday for his second conviction under a Beijing-imposed national security law, according to NPR. Critics say the case reflects the crackdown on the city's once-thriving pro-democracy movement.
Wong was charged in 2025 with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security under the law, and in September he pleaded guilty to the offense, a move that can typically reduce a sentence. The 30-year-old is already serving a four-year, eight-month prison term for the city's biggest national security case linked to an unofficial primary. He had been expected to be freed in January 2027.
Judge William Tam said during the sentencing hearing that Wong's offense was of a grave nature and rejected that his role was limited. He said he considered a 13-year prison sentence as a starting point but reduced it because of Wong's guilty plea, and that Wong could serve his two sentences concurrently. Wong looked calm and thanked his supporters before leaving the court.
Observers say the sentencing shows the authorities' determination to keep prominent activists in prison for as long as possible, further chilling civic activism. Eric Lai, a research fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law, said national security charges can be repeatedly weaponized to keep a specific political prisoner in jail if the government deems it necessary. Beijing views Wong as an anti-China figure supporting Hong Kong independence, while Hong Kong authorities say the security law is crucial for the city's stability and that enforcement actions were evidence-based.