Repression in Hong Kong: Another ten years in prison for democracy activist Wong

afp | Jailed Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong has been sentenced to an additional ten years in prison on charges of collaborating “with foreign forces.” A court in China's Special Administrative Region described Wong in its ruling on Thursday as one of the "masterminds" of a conspiracy to endanger national security.

Wong has been in prison for almost six years. After serving a prison sentence for “subversion,” he was supposed to be released in January. The activist was convicted at the time under the so-called national security law. The verdict announced on Thursday is also based on the controversial law passed by Beijing in 2020.

Wong faced life imprisonment in the case. However, Judge William Tam said a sentence of 13 years' imprisonment was a "reasonable starting point". Because of Wong's guilty plea, the sentence was ultimately reduced to ten years.

Wong appeared calm as he sat in the dock on Thursday. He nodded to his supporters in the courtroom. In a letter to the court, he said he had originally hoped to be released from prison next year. But the new procedure gives him the feeling of being back at the beginning. He described his time in prison as the “most profound lessons” of his life. After the verdict was announced, Wong thanked his supporters and waved to them. Some cried and shouted to him: “We will wait for your release.”

The US Consulate in Hong Kong demanded Wong’s “immediate release.” The US condemned the Hong Kong court's decision, a consulate spokesman said: "Wong has been unjustly detained since December 2020, which shows that Beijing is using extraordinary means to silence those who stand up for fundamental freedoms in Hong Kong."

Following Wong's conviction, Taiwan also criticized the "endless political persecution" of democracy activists in Hong Kong. Human Rights Watch called the decision a “cruel and unjust” decision and called on the international community to impose sanctions on officials responsible for “increasing repression in Hong Kong”.

The Chinese government sharply rejected the criticism as “irresponsible statements” and called for “respect for China’s sovereignty” and for the Hong Kong justice system.

Wong is one of the best-known representatives of the Hong Kong democracy movement. The activist rose to prominence in 2014 through student-led protests and was also involved in the large and sometimes violent mass protests that led to the imposition of the national security law.

Until a few years ago, the Chinese Special Administrative Region of Hong Kong was considered a bastion of freedom of expression in China. However, since Beijing passed the "security law" in 2020, the authorities in the special administrative region have taken massive action against all pro-democracy activists and other voices critical of Beijing who, in their view, threaten China's national security. Many opposition members have fled abroad, others have been sentenced to long prison sentences.