Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 years in prison for alleged violation of China's 'National Security Law'

Joshua Wong, who rose to prominence as a teen to be a central figure of the democracy movement in Hong Kong, has been handed a 10-year sentence over a second conviction over China's "National Security Law" (NSL).

Wong was sent to prison for the first time in his early 20s, now he is 30 years old. The US and UK have condemned the controversial ruling against him. He is already serving four year and eight months in prison after he pleaded guilty in a subversion trial in 2024. He was about to be released in January.

Wong, 30, was sentenced on Thursday after he pleaded guilty to "foreign collusion" under the law. Critics have said that the NSL is used to silence political opposition in the city.

The US consulate in Hong Kong said in a statement that it “strongly condemns” the sentence of Wong, and called for his release. “Wong has been unjustly imprisoned since December 2020, demonstrating that Beijing will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate for fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong,” per the Guardian.

The UK Foreign Office said that Wong's sentence is “a clear example of how the National Security Law is being used to target individuals for political expression and participation."

“We call for an immediate end to all unjust prosecutions of individuals charged under the National Security Law and urge the authorities in China and Hong Kong to honour the rights and freedoms guaranteed to the people of Hong Kong under the Sino-British joint declaration (1984).”

The NSL that was introduced by Beijing and used against Hong has been used to crackdown on political dissent, shutter news outlets, and break up political groups. The law was crafted in 2019 and allowed for China to tighten its grip on Hong Kong.

Judge William Tam alleged that the activist conspired with others to call for sanctions against Hong Kong when the former British colony was dealing with pro-democracy protests.

Nathan Law, who is a friend of Wong and has been accused of conspiring with him said, “It’s incredibly sad to see my friend Joshua Wong suffer another sentencing over his peaceful advocacy work for Hong Kong’s democracy.” Law said the sentencing was "a farce" and that China is "determined to quash any hopes for freedom and democracy on its soil."

After Hong Kong was given to China in 1997, the city was promised to have more autonomy even if under the official rule of China. The UK has said that Beijing has violated that treaty after the widespread crackdown on democracy protests in 2019 and 2020.