Cluster 4

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty to a second charge under the city’s national security law, which Beijing imposed in 2020 after mass anti-government protests. Wong admitted to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. The charge relates to alleged efforts between July and November 2020 to persuade foreign governments, organizations or individuals to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile measures against Hong Kong or China. Wong, 29, appeared in court wearing a blue shirt and is expected to be sentenced later. The offence carries a prison term of three to 10 years, or life imprisonment if deemed particularly serious. A guilty plea could reduce his sentence. He is already serving four years and eight months after pleading guilty in a separate national security case connected to an unofficial political primary. That sentence was expected to end in January, before his arrest on the collusion charge in June 2025. The article places Wong’s case within the broader suppression of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement. He first became prominent in 2012 as a student protesting national education reforms and later emerged as a leader of the 2014 Occupy Movement. He co-founded the political party Demosisto with other young activists, including Nathan Law, and sought international support during the 2019 protests. Beijing accused him of soliciting foreign interference, while Hong Kong authorities and supporters of the movement say the national security law has been used to silence dissidents and restrict civic activism. Wong’s supporters and friend Louis Lee expressed hope that he would remain resilient and eventually leave prison. The article also notes that other prominent activists, including former media executive Jimmy Lai, have been jailed, while others have fled abroad. Hong Kong authorities have issued arrest warrants and offered rewards for information leading to the capture of several overseas-based activists, including Law.

Pro-democracy Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has pleaded guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign entities under Hong Kong’s national security law. The charge relates to alleged efforts between July and November 2020 to persuade foreign countries, institutions, organizations or individuals to impose sanctions or take other hostile actions against Hong Kong or China. Wong was accused of carrying out the alleged activities with fellow activist Nathan Law and others. Wong is already serving a nearly five-year prison sentence for subversion and had been expected to be released next year. Following his guilty plea, he could face a sentence of up to life imprisonment. He confirmed the plea in court after the charges were read out, according to AFP journalists present at the proceedings. He reportedly smiled and nodded when a person in the public gallery called out, “hang in there!” Several Western diplomats also attended the hearing. The prosecution is the second case brought against Wong under Hong Kong’s national security law, which was introduced in 2020 and has been used to suppress dissent. Wong first gained prominence in 2012, when he led protests against the introduction of national education in Hong Kong schools. He later became a leading figure in the 2014 Occupy Movement, during which protesters occupied city streets for 79 days while demanding direct elections for Hong Kong’s leader. Beijing has accused Wong of advocating Hong Kong independence and seeking foreign interference. The political party he co-founded, Demosisto, dissolved after the security law took effect on June 30, 2020. Wong was also among dozens of activists arrested in 2021 over an unofficial primary election intended to select candidates for Hong Kong’s 2020 legislative council election. Critics say his case demonstrates the extent to which authorities are prepared to pursue prominent political dissidents.

Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security under Beijing’s 2020 National Security Law. The charge is connected to allegations that Wong supported overseas efforts led by former colleague Nathan Law to persuade foreign governments and companies to impose sanctions, blockades, or other hostile measures against Hong Kong and China. Wong, 29, was already serving a four-year-and-eight-month sentence after pleading guilty in a separate national security case involving an unofficial political primary. The new offence carries a sentence of three to 10 years, or life imprisonment if deemed sufficiently grave, although his guilty plea could reduce the eventual punishment. He had been expected to leave prison in January before being arrested on the new charge in June 2025. Prosecutors said Wong continued supporting Law’s activities from Hong Kong through social media and foreign media after the security law came into force. They cited his sharing of an online petition urging digital forensic companies to stop cooperating with Hong Kong police. One company subsequently announced that it would no longer sell digital intelligence products to customers in Hong Kong and China. Wong accepted the prosecution’s account during the hearing and is expected to be sentenced later. The case illustrates the broader suppression of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement since the national security law was enacted following the mass protests of 2019. Critics describe Wong’s prosecution as an effort to silence prominent dissidents and freeze civic activism, while Beijing portrays him as an anti-China figure who supports Hong Kong independence. Wong first gained prominence during protests against national education in 2012 and later became a leader of the 2014 Occupy Movement. He co-founded the political party Demosisto with Nathan Law and helped seek international support during the 2019 protests. The party dissolved after the national security law was imposed in 2020.