Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has entered a guilty plea in a national security case at the city’s High Court, marking his second prosecution under Beijing’s controversial security law. The 29-year-old faces potential life imprisonment on charges of foreign collusion, accused of urging international sanctions and hostile actions against China and Hong Kong following the 2020 implementation of the security legislation.
Wong is currently serving a nearly five-year prison sentence for subversion charges and was expected to be released next year. The latest conviction could significantly extend his incarceration, as the foreign collusion offense carries a penalty ranging from three to ten years imprisonment, or life in prison if deemed sufficiently grave. Prosecutors presented evidence that Wong had written newspaper columns and given media interviews calling for international sanctions, while also meeting with foreign political figures including former U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio.
The activist became internationally prominent during Hong Kong’s 2014 Umbrella Movement protests and co-founded the pro-democracy political party Demosisto in 2016, which dissolved in 2020 when the national security law took effect. The sentencing determination has not yet been scheduled, though the judge indicated a decision would come promptly. Wong’s case reflects ongoing prosecutions of democracy activists under the national security law, following recent convictions of other pro-democracy figures on subversion charges.
Originally reported by Aljazeera →
About the Author
