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Joshua Wong pleads guilty in second national security case in Hong Kong
AP News • • world
Key Points:
- Joshua Wong, a prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law, facing a prison term of three to 10 years or more if deemed grave.
- Wong is already serving a four-year and eight-month sentence from a separate national security case and was expected to be released in January before his latest arrest in June 2025.
- Prosecutors allege Wong and fellow activist Nathan Law lobbied internationally since 2016 to seek sanctions and hostile measures against Hong Kong and China, continuing efforts abroad after the 2020 security law came into effect.
- Wong’s lawyer requested a reduced sentence due to his guilty plea, time already served, and Wong’s personal growth and maturity during imprisonment, emphasizing his hopes to care for his parents after release.
- Wong first gained prominence as a teen activist in 2012 and was a key figure in the 2014 Occupy Movement and 2019 protests, with Beijing accusing him of seeking foreign interference; many pro-democracy activists have been jailed or fled abroad under the national security law.
