Hong Kong Protest Leader Sentenced to 10 Years in Prison

Joshua Wong, one of the most prominent figures in Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, has been sentenced to 10 years in prison on charges of "conspiracy with foreign forces." Wong has already spent the last six years behind bars. He was expected to be released in January, but will now have to spend another ten years in detention. The 30-year-old activist is not expected to be released before the end of 2036, writes the BBC.

Wong was one of the leaders of the 2014 "Umbrella Revolution" and the large-scale pro-democracy protests in 2019. Initially, the protests were sparked by a bill allowing extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China.

However, protesters soon began to demand broader democratic reforms.

The charge of "conspiracy with foreign forces" was brought under Beijing's 2020 Hong Kong National Security Law. It provides for penalties up to life imprisonment for a range of crimes, including conspiracy with foreign forces.

Wong is one of hundreds of activists and ordinary Hong Kong residents arrested under this law.

Critics argue that the law, which grants broad powers to the authorities, has effectively suppressed dissent. The authorities, in turn, state that it is necessary for maintaining stability and deny that its introduction has undermined Hong Kong's traditional autonomy.

According to the prosecution, in 2020, Wong, along with other activists, including exiled Nathan Law, sought the imposition of sanctions against China by foreign powers and other restrictive measures targeting Beijing.

The alleged actions took place from July to November 2020 — shortly after the National Security Law came into force.

Wong pleaded guilty in September.

In an article for Time magazine, written from prison in June 2019, Wong wrote: "The lack of freedom I face today is the price I knew I would have to pay for the city I love."

Human rights organization Amnesty International previously stated that the charges against Wong "underscore the authorities' fear of prominent opposition figures and demonstrate the lengths to which they are willing to go to keep them behind bars for as long as possible."

Leaving the courtroom on Thursday, Wong thanked his supporters and waved to them. In response, they chanted: "We will await your release."

The 2014 protest movement failed to secure concessions from either China's communist leadership or the pro-Beijing Hong Kong authorities.

Activist work proved costly for Wong and other protesters: authorities initiated criminal cases against him and other leaders of the "Umbrella Revolution."

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