Joshua Wong Sentenced to 10 More Years in Hong Kong

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday, November 5, 2026, for conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the city's Beijing-imposed National Security Law — a second national security conviction that will keep him behind bars until late 2036.

The Hong Kong High Court handed down the sentence in a packed courtroom, where Judge William Tam said Wong's offence was of a "grave nature" and that the punishment had to reflect the gravity of the scheme. Wong, 30, had pleaded guilty in September to conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and others to urge foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China.

Wong had been expected to be freed in January 2027 after serving a four-year, eight-month sentence in Hong Kong's largest national security trial. Instead, the new 10-year term — running concurrently with the roughly two months remaining on that sentence — means he will not be released until late 2036, when he turns 40. He has been in custody since November 2020.

The sentence

Judge Tam set 13 years as the starting point for the sentence, then reduced it by three years in recognition of Wong's guilty plea, according to reports from the hearing. The maximum penalty for the offence is life imprisonment. Colluding with foreign forces is one of four major offences under the National Security Law, alongside secession, subversion and terrorist activities.

"It is also necessary for the court to express the community's abhorrence of the defendant's scheme and acts with others to collude with foreign forces or external elements to endanger national security."

— High Court Judge William Tam, sentencing Joshua Wong, November 5, 2026

The court rejected the argument that Wong's role had been limited. Prosecutors said Wong conspired with Law and other unnamed individuals between July and November 2020 to request that foreign countries or organisations impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile activities against the governments of Hong Kong and mainland China.

Wong appeared calm in the dock, wearing a blue shirt and black glasses, and nodded to supporters. After the sentence was read out, he thanked and waved to supporters as he left the courtroom. Some wept. "We'll be waiting for your release," one supporter was heard saying.

In a mitigation letter to the court, Wong wrote that he had hoped to leave prison in 2027, but that the new charge made him feel he was back to square one. He added that his future would not be defined by the past, and that the years he has spent behind bars have been the "most profound lessons" of his life.

Who is Joshua Wong?

Wong rose to prominence during Hong Kong's 2014 pro-democracy protests, known as the Umbrella Movement, when he was still a teenager. He became one of the most internationally recognised faces of the city's democracy movement, and has been in and out of jail since 2017.

According to prosecutors, Wong began international lobbying as early as 2016, promoting legislation that would allow the United States president to impose sanctions over rights violations in Hong Kong. During the pro-democracy marches of 2019, he was part of a delegation to Washington to lobby for the bill, which eventually passed.

In 2020, Beijing imposed the sweeping National Security Law on Hong Kong, a move that effectively quashed dissent, prompted opposition groups to disband and drove many activists into exile. Wong was among dozens of pro-democracy figures jailed for subversion in 2024, in what was Hong Kong's largest national security trial — the so-called "Hong Kong 47" case, in which 45 prominent campaigners were convicted and sentenced to up to 10 years.

At the time, Wong vowed to "continue to defend my home — Hong Kong — until they silence me". He was charged again under the same law in June 2025, accused of collusion with foreign powers.

Reactions at home and abroad

The sentence drew swift condemnation from rights groups and foreign governments, and a firm defence from Beijing and the Hong Kong government.

The United States consulate in Hong Kong said the sentencing showed that Beijing "will go to extraordinary lengths to silence those who advocate for fundamental freedoms" in the territory. Human Rights Watch called the sentence "cruel and unjust" and urged foreign governments to "impose targeted sanctions on officials responsible for Hong Kong's growing repression". Amnesty International said the National Security Law had become "a tool to punish dissent".

Taiwan criticised what it called the "endless political persecution" of Hong Kong pro-democracy activists, saying Beijing and the Hong Kong government use "authoritarian tools" to "fabricate charges" and suppress people's rights to pursue freedom and democracy.

China's foreign ministry said Beijing "firmly supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in safeguarding national security in accordance with the law and cracking down on acts that endanger national security", and told other countries to stop interfering in Hong Kong's judiciary and China's internal affairs. Hong Kong Chief Executive John Lee said after the sentencing that Wong had an "utter disregard for the law".

Rights groups have urged US President Donald Trump and other leaders to raise Wong's case at upcoming summits with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

Part of a wider crackdown

Wong's case is the latest in a series of long sentences under the National Security Law. Pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was given 20 years in February under the same legislation.

Figure	Sentence	Offence
Joshua Wong	10 years (Nov 2026)	Conspiring to collude with foreign forces
Jimmy Lai	20 years (Feb 2026)	National security offences
Hong Kong 47 defendants	Up to 10 years (2024)	Conspiracy to commit subversion

Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London, told AFP before the sentencing that Beijing "is keeping a tight rein over Hong Kong and there's no scope for turning back to the more relaxed days before 2019", referring to the year massive pro-democracy protests broke out in the city.

Outside the court on Thursday, supporters gathered under a heavy police presence. Margaret Chan, a 61-year-old retiree and long-time supporter of Wong, told AFP she was "too heartbroken" as the judge handed down the sentence. "He will be in his middle age by the time he is released," she said.

Frequently asked questions

Why was Joshua Wong sentenced to 10 years?

He pleaded guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign forces under Hong Kong's National Security Law, after prosecutors said he worked with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and others in 2020 to urge foreign governments to impose sanctions on Hong Kong and China. The judge called the offence one of a "grave nature", which carries a minimum term of 10 years under the law.

When will he be released?

Not until late 2036, when he turns 40. The new 10-year term runs concurrently with the roughly two months remaining on his earlier four-year, eight-month sentence, so it effectively adds almost a decade to his time in prison. He has been in custody since November 2020.

What is the National Security Law?

A sweeping security law imposed on Hong Kong by Beijing on June 30, 2020, after a year of pro-democracy protests. It criminalises secession, subversion, terrorist activities and collusion with foreign forces, with penalties ranging from three years to life imprisonment. Critics say it has been used to dismantle Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement; Beijing says it restored stability.

What happens next?

Attention now turns to whether foreign governments raise Wong's case directly with Beijing, and whether Wong appeals the sentence. Rights groups are pressing leaders to take up the case at upcoming summits with President Xi Jinping.

What to watch next

Watch for any appeal by Wong's legal team, for statements from governments that have condemned the sentence, and for whether the case is raised at upcoming summits between Western leaders and President Xi Jinping. The sentence also sets a marker for future national security prosecutions in Hong Kong, where dozens of activists remain in prison or in exile.