Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Pleads Guilty to Colluding with Foreign Forces — Faces Life Sentence

Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty on Wednesday to colluding with foreign forces. According to Reuters, the charge carries a potential life sentence. Wong entered his plea before William Tam, a judge handpicked by the government to preside over national security cases.

The 29-year-old Wong first gained international attention as a teenager, when he emerged as one of the leaders of Hong Kong's youth-led pro-democracy movement. Over the past six years, authorities have all but crushed this kind of protest activism in the city. Wong was previously convicted in 2020 of conspiracy to commit subversion, a sentence that was due to end in January.

What the new charges involve

According to the indictment, the case against Wong stems from an international media and political campaign run by the now-disbanded party Demosisto, which had called for a referendum on Hong Kong's sovereignty. Prosecutors allege that as part of this campaign, the party urged sanctions against Hong Kong and China.

Wong was one of the party's leaders. His lawyer asked Judge Tam to impose a sentence of three to ten years, noting that his client had already spent six years behind bars and that his role in the offense was not serious. According to the defense, Wong hopes to eventually be released so he can care for his parents. Judge Tam said he would decide on the sentence soon but did not set a date for the next hearing.

International attention to the case

Wong's case is being closely watched by international human rights organizations and Western governments. Several Western diplomats were present in the courtroom on Wednesday. Western countries regard the national security law — used to suppress pro-democracy activists and protests — as a violation of the autonomy Beijing promised Hong Kong in 1997, when Britain handed over control of the territory.

Around Prague, based on reporting by novinky.cz