Joshua Wong: Hongkonger Aktivist zu zehn Jahren Haft verurteilt

Joshua Wong, the Hong Kong democracy activist, has been sentenced to ten years in prison in another legal proceeding. The High Court of the Chinese Special Administrative Region imposed the punishment on the 30-year-old, according to multiple local media outlets including the "South China Morning Post". Wong admitted guilt in September for allegedly conspiring with foreign forces and endangering national security.

This marked the second case against Wong under Hong Kong's national security law, which Beijing enacted in 2020 following a wave of protests. Critics argue the law is being used by authorities for political repression. What Wong was charged with The prosecution accused Wong of collaborating with Nathan Law, an activist currently living in exile, and others between July and November 2020 to influence other countries and engage in hostile actions against Hong Kong and China.

In June 2025, authorities filed charges against Wong in this case. Wong, known internationally as one of the faces of the 2014 Umbrella Movement advocating for free elections in Hong Kong, has been incarcerated for various legal proceedings since November 2020. He was sentenced to four years and eight months in the high-profile "Hong Kong 47" case in November 2024, for which he also admitted guilt.

According to the "South China Morning Post", Wong is expected to be released only by the end of 2036, with the remaining two months and two days of his existing sentence being served concurrently with the new punishment. The judge set the sentence at 13 years, reducing it due to Wong's confession of guilt. Criticism of the Security Law Hong Kong, a former British colony returned to China in 1997, has been governed as a Special Administrative Region based on the principle of "one country, two systems" for 50 years.

It was guaranteed extensive autonomy and the preservation of its own legal and economic systems. Human rights organizations accuse the authorities of silencing the pro-democracy opposition and criminalizing peaceful political activities through the national security law. The Hong Kong government disputes this assertion. Other prominent pro-democracy figures have also been sentenced in high-profile cases.

Former media mogul Jimmy Lai received a 20-year prison term in February for conspiracy to collaborate with foreign forces and publishing subversive materials.