Joshua Wong's Jail Time Extends to 14 Years With 10-Year Collusion Sentence

Joshua Wong will spend another decade in prison, bringing his total time behind bars to nearly 14 years after a Hong Kong court imposed a 10-year sentence for colluding with foreign powers. The verdict, delivered on Thursday, confirms that the 30-year-old democracy activist will remain incarcerated well beyond his original expected release date of January.

Wong pleaded guilty in September to a charge under Beijing’s national security law. The statute accuses him of seeking external sanctions against the financial hub and mainland China. Prosecutors alleged that Wong began international lobbying efforts as early as 2016, promoting legislation that would empower the U.S. President to impose penalties for human rights violations in the city.

The new sentence stacks on top of a previous conviction for subversion. Wong was among dozens of pro-democracy figures jailed in 2024 in what authorities described as the largest national security trial in the territory's history. While some co-defendants have recently been released after serving their terms, Wong is the only individual in that group to face a second charge under the same law. Authorities filed the new complaint in June 2025, arguing that his diplomatic efforts constituted an attempt to invite outside interference.

The court summary stated that the judge imposed the final 10-year term after reviewing the evidence. Wong entered the courtroom on Thursday morning wearing a blue shirt and black glasses. He appeared calm, nodding to supporters and scanning the room before the judge read the sentence. Outside, dozens of people waited in line for the hearing, while police maintained a heavy presence around the building. Upon leaving, Wong waved to his supporters, who told reporters they would be waiting for his release.

Contextualizing the verdict, Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London, noted that Beijing views Wong as a key leader of the 2019 protests. Tsang told AFP that authorities intend to make an example of him. He added that the sentence signals that Beijing is keeping a tight rein over Hong Kong, leaving little room for a return to the more relaxed political climate that existed before 2019.

Wong first gained international attention during the 2014 Umbrella Movement. Since 2017, he has been in and out of prison due to multiple protest-related prosecutions. In 2019, he joined a delegation in the United States to lobby for the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, which eventually passed. The following year, Beijing enacted the sweeping national security law to curb dissent, prompting many opposition groups to disband and activists to flee the city.

Louis Lee, a friend and former member of the now-disbanded Scholarism student group co-founded by Wong, described the activist as energetic despite his incarceration. Lee recalled that Wong appeared disappointed during prison visits and often sighed, expressing worry and nervousness about the upcoming sentencing. Lee said Wong must accept this reality rather than remaining unhappy about it.

Margaret Chan, a 61-year-old retiree and long-time supporter, called the situation heartbreaking. She described Wong as an outstanding young man who has been exceptional since his youth. Chan noted that Wong will be in his middle age by the time he is released. Rights groups have criticized the collusion charge as a deliberate effort to keep him in jail, citing the sequential nature of the prosecutions.