Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong to plead guilty to national security charge

High Court has scheduled a plea and sentencing hearing for the 29-year-old jailed activist on September 2

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Published: 1:55pm, 7 Jul 2026

Hong Kong jailed activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung has indicated he will plead guilty to conspiring with a fugitive former lawmaker to collude with foreign forces six years ago.

The High Court has scheduled a plea and sentencing hearing for the 29-year-old on September 2, according to the judiciary’s website on Tuesday, signalling his intention to admit the charge, which carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment under the Beijing-decreed national security law.

The court has yet to announce the venue or presiding judge.

National security police arrested Wong in June last year while he was serving a sentence at maximum-security Stanley Prison for a subversion case linked to the 2020 unofficial legislative primary election.

Wong allegedly conspired with former legislator Nathan Law Kwun-chung and others between July 1 and November 23, 2020, to seek foreign sanctions, blockades or other hostile actions against Hong Kong and mainland China.

Prosecutors said the suspects plotted to persuade foreign governments and entities to “seriously disrupt the formulation and implementation of laws or policies” by the Beijing and the Hong Kong governments, potentially causing serious consequences.