Hong Kong High Court sentences Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison on national security charge

The Hong Kong High Court sentenced 30-year-old pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong to 10 years in prison on November 5 for "conspiring to collude with foreign forces" under the National Security Law. Wong formally pleaded guilty on September 2. The court ruled that the offence was of a "grave nature"; the National Security Law sets prison terms of 3 to 10 years for "foreign collusion", or 10 years to life for offences deemed to be of a "grave nature". (Cover photo is a file photo of the Hong Kong skyline over Victoria Harbour.)

Two months to run concurrently; in custody for almost six years

The court ordered two months of the sentence to run concurrently with Wong's current national security sentence. Wong has been in custody since November 2020, when he was 23, and under this sentence his imprisonment will run until late 2036, when he will be 40.

Charge alleges conspiracy with Nathan Law; Human Rights Watch calls the charges baseless

The authorities accused Wong of conspiring with the activist Nathan Law and other "unknown" individuals between 2016 and November 2020 to urge foreign governments to take action against Hong Kong. Human Rights Watch said after the sentencing that Wong had been given 10 years in prison on baseless national security charges. Reuters and RTHK also reported the sentence.

(Sources: Human Rights Watch, November 5, 2026; Reuters; RTHK. Cover photo is a file photo of the Hong Kong skyline over Victoria Harbour.)