Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong jailed 10 more years for foreign collusion

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison for colluding with foreign powers, under the Beijing-imposed national security law.

Wong, recognized for his leadership in the 2014 Umbrella Movement, is now set to remain behind bars until 2036.

The court deemed his offense "of a grave nature" but reduced the sentence to 10 years due to his guilty plea.

Wong's case underscores Beijing's continued tight control over Hong Kong, drawing criticism from Human Rights Watch and calls for foreign governments to denounce such actions.

HONG KONG, Nov 5 — Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 more years in jail in the Chinese territory yesterday for colluding with foreign powers.

Wong, who became internationally renowned during the “Umbrella Movement” that convulsed Hong Kong in 2014, has already spent almost six years behind bars and is now not due for release until late 2036.

The former student leader, who turned 30 last month, was previously expected to be freed in January after serving four years and eight months for “subversion” under a Beijing-imposed national security law.

But Hong Kong authorities used the same law to charge Wong again in June last year, accusing him of collusion with other countries and entities to impose sanctions against the finance hub and China.

Pro-democracy tycoon Jimmy Lai, founder of the now-defunct Apple Daily newspaper, was given 20 years under the same legislation in February, a decision described by Washington as “unjust and tragic”.

The court on Thursday described Wong and fellow student leader Nathan Law—in self-imposed exile and wanted by authorities—as “two ring-leaders or masterminds” of a conspiracy to endanger national security.

Wong was potentially facing a life term as his offence was deemed to be “of a grave nature”, judge William Tam said.

But he decided an “appropriate starting point” for Wong’s offence was 13 years, reduced to 10 because of his guilty plea.

With a heavy police presence outside, Wong entered the dock looking calm in a blue shirt and black glasses, nodding to supporters and scanning the room.

After the sentencing, Wong thanked and waved to his supporters as he left. Some wept and were heard saying: “We’ll be waiting for your release.”

“Beijing has identified Joshua as one of the key leaders of what they see as an open rebellion in 2019 -- despite him being one of the moderates—and he will be made an example of,” Steve Tsang, director of the China Institute at SOAS University of London, told AFP, referring to sometimes violent democracy rallies that year.

Wong’s fate shows that Beijing “is keeping a tight rein over Hong Kong and there’s no scope for turning back to the more relaxed days before 2019”, Tsang added before the sentencing.

Human Rights Watch said on Thursday the charges against Wong were “bogus” and his sentence “cruel and unjust”.

“Foreign governments should denounce the sentences against him and other wrongfully detained pro-democracy activists and impose targeted sanctions on officials responsible for Hong Kong’s growing repression,” the organisation said.

Wong rose to prominence during Hong Kong’s 2014 protests, known as the Umbrella Movement, and has been in and out of jail since 2017.

Authorities said Wong started international lobbying as early as 2016, when he promoted a bill—the Hong Kong Human Rights and Democracy Act—that would allow the US president to impose sanctions in response to rights violations in the city.

In 2019, as Hong Kong saw massive and sometimes violent pro-democracy protests, Wong was part of a delegation to the United States to lobby for the bill, which eventually passed.

The following year, Beijing imposed the sweeping national security law on Hong Kong to quash dissent, prompting opposition groups to disband and activists to flee the city.

At the time, Wong vowed to “continue to defend my home—Hong Kong—until they silence me”.

He was among dozens of pro-democracy figures jailed for “subversion” in 2024, in what was Hong Kong’s largest national security trial. Some of them have since been released.

Louis Lee, a friend of the activist, said before the sentencing that Wong remained “energetic” in prison, but was sometimes “worried and nervous”.

During prison visits, the former student leader looked disappointed and would sigh from time to time, Lee recalled.

Margaret Chan, a 61-year-old retiree and a long-time supporter of Wong, told AFP that she was “too heartbroken” as the judge handed down the sentencing.

She hailed Wong as “an outstanding young man, who has been exceptional since he was in his youth.”

“He will be in his middle age by the time he is released.”

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香港民主活动人士黄之锋因勾结外国势力，根据北京强加的国安法，被判处额外10年监禁。

黄之锋因其在 2014 年雨伞运动中的领导作用而受到认可，现在他将被监禁至 2036 年。

法院认为他的罪行“性质严重”，但由于他认罪，将刑期减至 10 年。

黄之锋的案件凸显了北京对香港的持续严密控制，引发了人权观察组织的批评，并呼吁外国政府谴责此类行为。

香港，11月5日——香港民主活动人士黄之锋昨日在中国香港被判处10年监禁，罪名是勾结外国势力。

黄之锋在2014年席卷香港的“雨伞运动”中声名鹊起，享誉国际。他已被监禁近六年，预计要到2036年底才能获释。

这位上个月刚满 30 岁的前学生领袖，此前因违反北京强加的国家安全法，被判“颠覆国家政权罪”，服刑四年零八个月后，预计将于 1 月份获释。

但香港当局去年 6 月再次援引同一法律起诉黄之锋，指控他与其他国家和实体勾结，对香港和中国实施制裁。

亲民主派大亨、现已停刊的《苹果日报》创始人黎智英于今年2月根据同一立法被判处20年监禁，华盛顿方面称这一决定“不公正且令人悲痛”。

周四，法庭将黄之锋和另一位学生领袖罗冠聪（目前自我流放，并被当局通缉）描述为危害国家安全的阴谋的“两名头目或主谋”。

法官威廉·谭表示，黄某的罪行性质“十分严重”，他可能面临终身监禁。

但他决定，对黄的罪行而言，“合适的起点”是 13 年，由于黄认罪，刑期减至 10 年。

在法庭外严密的警力部署下，黄之锋身穿蓝色衬衫，戴着黑色眼镜，神态平静地走进被告席，向支持者点头致意，并环顾四周。

宣判后，黄之锋离开时向支持者们道谢并挥手致意。一些人泣不成声，说道：“我们会等着你出狱。”

“北京方面已将约书亚视为2019年他们眼中公开叛乱的关键领导人之一——尽管他属于温和派——他将被视为杀鸡儆猴的典型，”伦敦大学亚非学院中国研究所所长曾志伟告诉法新社，他指的是当年发生的有时演变为暴力冲突的民主集会。

曾志伟在宣判前补充说，黄之锋的遭遇表明北京“对香港实行严格管控，没有回头路回到2019年以前那种较为宽松的时期”。

人权观察组织周四表示，对黄之锋的指控是“捏造的”，对他的判决是“残酷和不公正的”。

该组织表示：“外国政府应该谴责对他和其他被错误拘留的民主活动人士的判决，并对应对香港日益加剧的镇压负有责任的官员实施有针对性的制裁。”

黄之锋在2014年香港的“雨伞运动”中崭露头角，自2017年以来一直进出监狱。

当局表示，黄之锋早在 2016 年就开始进行国际游说，当时他推动了一项法案——《香港人权与民主法案》——该法案将允许美国总统对香港的人权侵犯行为实施制裁。

2019 年，香港爆发了大规模且有时演变为暴力冲突的民主抗议活动，黄之锋作为代表团成员前往美国游说支持该法案，该法案最终获得通过。

次年，北京在香港强行实施了范围广泛的国家安全法，以镇压异议，导致反对派团体解散，活动人士逃离香港。

当时，黄之锋誓言“将继续捍卫我的家园——香港——直到他们让我噤声”。

2024年，在香港历史上规模最大的国家安全审判中，他与数十名民主派人士因“颠覆国家政权”罪名被判入狱。其中一些人后来已被释放。

黄之锋的朋友路易斯·李在宣判前表示，黄之锋在狱中依然“精力充沛”，但有时也会“忧心忡忡、紧张不安”。

李回忆说，在监狱探访期间，这位前学生领袖看起来很失望，并不时叹气。

61岁的退休人士陈嘉欣是黄之锋的长期支持者，她告诉法新社，当法官宣判时，她“心碎不已”。

她称赞黄是“一位杰出的年轻人，他从年轻时就表现得非常出色”。

“他获释时将步入中年。”

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特朗普大谈大理石、吊灯和无人机，同时展示耗资4亿美元的白宫宴会厅，而此时民主党在中期选举中大获全胜，掌控了国会。

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