Second national security case may extend Joshua Wong’s prison term
Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong faces up to life imprisonment after admitting a national security offence while serving a four-year, eight-month sentence
Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty on Wednesday (September 2, 2026) to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security, an offence that can carry life imprisonment, the BBC reported.
The 29-year-old entered the plea at Hong Kong’s High Court. He is already serving four years and eight months for conspiracy to commit subversion over his involvement in an unofficial opposition primary held in 2020.
That sentence is scheduled to end in January 2027, but the latest case could considerably extend his time in prison. Collusion offences under the National Security Law carry terms of three to 10 years, or life imprisonment if the court considers an offence to be of a grave nature. A guilty plea can ordinarily result in a reduced sentence.
Wong became one of the best-known figures in Hong Kong’s democracy movement during the 2014 Umbrella Movement and remained active during the mass protests of 2019.
Prosecutors cite campaign for foreign sanctions
The charge covers the period from July 1 to November 23, 2020. Prosecutors alleged that Wong conspired with exiled activist Nathan Law and others to ask foreign countries, institutions, organisations or individuals outside China to impose sanctions or blockades, or undertake other hostile actions, against Hong Kong or China.
Prosecutors also described repeated international lobbying by Wong and Law, including visits to the United States, Germany and Italy. They said the pair helped promote the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act, a US law enacted in 2019 during Donald Trump’s first administration that provides for sanctions against officials deemed responsible for human rights abuses in Hong Kong.
Wong and Law were among the leaders of Demosisto, a pro-democracy political party that was later disbanded. Prosecutors said Wong had nevertheless maintained that he would not abandon his political position and would continue seeking support from the international community. Wong did not challenge the prosecution’s account in court.
Second prosecution under the security law
Wong’s existing sentence arose from a separate national security case concerning an unofficial primary organised by the pro-democracy camp ahead of planned legislative elections in 2020. He pleaded guilty in that case and was sentenced in late 2024.
Beijing imposed the National Security Law on Hong Kong in June 2020 following months of unrest during the 2019 protests. Critics and international rights groups say the law has severely curtailed political freedoms, while Hong Kong and Chinese authorities maintain that it is necessary to safeguard national security and restore stability.
Supporters call for leniency
About 40 supporters, close friends and fellow activists attended the hearing. Some called out, “Hang in there, Joshua!”, prompting Wong to smile and nod from the dock.
Tsang Kin-shing, a former member of the now-dissolved League of Social Democrats, urged the court to impose a lenient sentence, noting that Wong had spent more than 2,000 days in prison.
Fellow activist Louis Lee said Wong’s supporters were disheartened that he faced another National Security Law prosecution when he had been approaching the end of his existing term.
Lee said Wong had continued exploring new interests in prison, including learning to play the guitar and exercising, and hoped others would draw strength from his resilience.
Judge William Tam said he would decide the sentence as soon as possible, but did not set a date.
