Joshua Wong faces sentencing Thursday in second national security trial

Joshua Wong, a 30-year-old former student leader, stands to learn his fate in a Hong Kong courtroom on Thursday. He will be sentenced for his second conviction under the national security law that Beijing imposed on the city. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 9:30 a.m. and is expected to conclude within 30 minutes.

Wong pleaded guilty in September to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. The charge carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. A guilty plea is generally intended to result in a reduced sentence compared to a trial verdict.

He is already incarcerated for a separate offense. Wong received a sentence of four years and eight months in November 2024 for his role in an unofficial primary election. He had been projected to be released in January 2027.

The prosecution argued that Wong and former co-activist Nathan Law agreed around 2016 to lobby internationally for democratic self-determination. The state claimed the pair sought sanctions and other adverse measures against Hong Kong and China. While Law operated from abroad, Wong supported these efforts from within Hong Kong using foreign media and social platforms to draw international attention.

Derek Chan, Wong’s lawyer, urged the court in September to grant a lighter penalty. Chan stated that Wong had spent nearly six years in prison and used that time to read and mature. The lawyer added that Wong plans to care for his parents upon his release.

The case has drawn scrutiny from legal experts. Eric Lai, a research fellow at Georgetown Center for Asian Law, called the proceedings disturbing. Lai said the second case provided a mechanism to keep Wong out of public view. He noted that the government appears eager to use criminal prosecution to prevent political dissidents from being released quickly.

The Hong Kong government maintains that its actions are based on evidence and follow the law. It asserts that the judiciary operates independently and that defendants receive fair trials. The city’s security bureau recently took action regarding a 2017 Netflix documentary about Wong, which critics say helped fuel the case's political sensitivity.