Key facts
- Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong is expected to plead guilty to charges under a national security law.
- The charges involve conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security.
- Wong allegedly sought foreign sanctions or hostile actions against Hong Kong or China.
- Sentencing is scheduled for September 2, with a potential prison term of three to 10 years, or life.
- This is Wong's second national security case; he previously received a four-year, eight-month sentence for a separate charge.
Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong is expected to plead guilty to charges of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, a case brought under Beijing's national security law. Wong, a former student leader, was arrested in June 2025 and is scheduled for a plea and sentencing hearing on September 2. He is accused of soliciting foreign sanctions or hostile actions against Hong Kong or China between July and November 2020.
The offense carries a potential prison sentence of three to 10 years, or life imprisonment for grave offenses. This marks Wong's second national security case; he previously pleaded guilty in 2024 to charges related to an unofficial primary election and received a sentence of four years and eight months.
Wong gained prominence leading protests in 2012 and the 2014 Occupy Movement. He co-founded the political party Demosisto, which disbanded after the 2020 security law was imposed. Beijing has labeled him an advocate for Hong Kong independence who sought foreign interference. Hong Kong authorities have offered rewards for information on overseas activists, including Nathan Law, who was a target in a recent spying case in London.