Joshua Wong, one of Hong Kong’s most recognized pro-democracy activists, pleaded guilty on Wednesday to conspiring to seek foreign sanctions against China and Hong Kong.
The 29-year-old entered his plea at the High Court in Admiralty, where Western diplomats and about 40 supporters had gathered for a hearing that could add a life sentence to the prison time he is already serving for subversion. His release had been set for January 2027. The new charge ensures Wong will remain imprisoned well beyond his scheduled release.
Prosecutors accused Wong of conspiring with exiled activist Nathan Law to urge foreign governments to impose sanctions, blockades, or other hostile measures against China and Hong Kong. The activities cited took place between July and late November 2020. That was the year Beijing introduced the National Security Law after months of anti-government protests. Wong and Law participated in international lobbying on numerous occasions, including visits to the United States, Germany, and Italy, the court heard. Prosecutors said Wong met with foreign politicians including former US House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and current Secretary of State Marco Rubio. He also promoted the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a US federal law that took effect in November 2019 and compels sanctions on Chinese and Hong Kong officials deemed responsible for human rights abuses.
Wong stood with his arms behind his back as he pleaded guilty. After the charges were read, he told the judge, “Confirm.” The judge said sentencing would be decided “as soon as possible.” No date was set. The offence carries a prison term of three to 10 years, or up to life if deemed to be of a “grave nature.” Pleading guilty could result in a reduced sentence.
A second prosecution
Wong is already serving four years and eight months after being convicted of subversion in November 2024 for his role in an unofficial primary election, to which he pleaded guilty in 2022. He is the only activist in Hong Kong prosecuted twice under the security law. Supporters say the prosecution heavily relied on his advocacy before the national security law was enacted and argue his case has been applied retroactively.
Frances Hui of the Committee for Freedom in Hong Kong Foundation said the government wants to keep Wong isolated. “It’s obvious that the government wants to keep him behind bars for as long as they can, so as to isolate him and not to let him become a visible symbol of resistance,” she said. Elaine Pearson, Asia director at Human Rights Watch, said the authorities are ensuring Wong stays behind bars by stacking charges against him. “By stacking one charge after another against Joshua Wong, the authorities are ensuring that the democracy icon stays behind bars, silencing him and the Hong Kong pro-democracy movement he helped lead and inspire,” she said. Sophie Richardson, a longtime China rights advocate, said conflating democracy promotion with undermining national security is a favorite tactic of authoritarians.
Outside the High Court, people queued overnight. One supporter, who asked not to be named, called the proceedings a forced reality under a compromised judicial system. “This is not justice, but Beijing’s absolute eradication of Hong Kong’s dissident voices,” they said. In the courtroom, some supporters shouted, “Hang in there, Joshua!” Wong smiled and nodded. Tsang Kin-shing, a former member of the now-dissolved League of Social Democrats, said he hopes for a lenient sentence, noting that Wong has spent more than 2,000 days in prison. Fellow activist Louis Lee said supporters were disheartened that Wong received another national security charge while already serving time.
From Umbrella Movement to life sentence
Wong became the international face of the Umbrella Movement in 2014, when he was a teenager and thousands of protesters occupied major roads across Hong Kong for 79 days. He appeared on the cover of Time magazine. He co-founded the pro-democracy party Demosistō in April 2016 and ran for the Legislative Council that year. When protests erupted in 2019 over a proposed extradition bill, Wong was in prison for his role in the 2014 demonstrations. He was released at the height of the movement. He immediately joined calls for the bill to be withdrawn. Demosistō disbanded on the same day the security law was enacted in 2020, but prosecutors said Wong maintained he would not abandon his political stance and would continue seeking international support.
Beijing and Hong Kong authorities argue the security law is necessary to maintain stability and deny it has weakened autonomy. Critics say the law has created a climate of fear. Its scope continues to expand six years on. Wong’s case follows the conviction of two other activists last month for inciting subversion after they used the phrase “end one-party dictatorship” in their political activities. Lee Cheuk-yan, 69, and Chow Hang-tung, 41, were part of a group known for organizing annual vigils marking the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre. In the United Kingdom, former Conservative leader Iain Duncan Smith urged the British government to raise Wong’s case with Beijing. “Enough is enough. It’s time to stop chasing peaceful protesters,” he said.