Local democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 more years in jail for colluding with foreign powers, the second time he was penalised under the city’s national security law.
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.
China said it “firmly supports the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region in safeguarding national security in accordance with the law and cracking down on acts that endanger national security.”
“Relevant parties should earnestly respect China’s sovereignty, respect Hong Kong’s legal system, stop making irresponsible remarks... and cease interfering in Hong Kong’s judiciary and China’s internal affairs in any form,” the foreign ministry said yesterday.
Wong, 30, 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 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 in February under the same legislation.
Wong was potentially facing a life term but the court decided “an appropriate starting point” to be 13 years, which was then reduced due to his guilty plea.
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. — AFP
