Joshua Wong: Hong Kong activist sentenced to 10 years in prison

The imprisoned Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to another ten years in prison by a court in China's special administrative region for "collaboration with foreign forces." The court imposed "a final prison sentence of ten years" on Wong, the court said in a press release on Thursday. The activist's prison sentence was thus extended beyond the six years he has already served.

Wong had to answer in the further trial brought against him. In the new case, he was accused of violating the national security law. The 30-year-old pleaded guilty in September. His admission of guilt was seen as a way to get a lighter sentence.

Wong is one of the most famous faces of the Hong Kong democracy movement, which was brought to a standstill by the authorities under massive pressure. The 29-year-old became known through the student-led protests and was also involved in the large and sometimes violent mass protests that led to the imposition of the national security law. He was actually supposed to be released next year.

Until a few years ago, the Chinese Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong was considered a bastion of freedom of expression in China. However, since Beijing passed the security law in 2020, the authorities in the special administrative region have taken massive action against all pro-democracy activists and other voices critical of Beijing who they believe threaten China's national security. Many opposition members have fled abroad, others have been arrested and sentenced to long prison sentences.

More on repression in China: Liberal Hong Kong is wiped out.