Joshua Wong Charged Again in Hong Kong Under Security Law

Joshua Wong Chi-fung Hit with Second National Security Charge in Bid to Extend Imprisonment Beyond 2027

HONG KONG — Prominent Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong Chi-fung, a key figure in the 2014 Umbrella Movement and the 2019-2020 protests, has been hit with an additional serious charge under the Beijing-imposed National Security Law (NSL). Already serving a prison sentence, Wong was formally charged on June 6, 2025, with conspiracy to collude with foreign forces — an offense that carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment.

The new accusation alleges that between July 1 and November 23, 2020, Wong conspired with self-exiled activist Nathan Law (who fled Hong Kong after the NSL’s enactment in June 2020) and “other persons unknown” to request foreign countries, institutions, organizations, or individuals outside China to impose sanctions, blockades, or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong and mainland China. He is also accused of seeking to disrupt the formulation and implementation of laws and policies in ways likely to cause serious consequences.

This marks the second time Wong has been charged under the sweeping NSL, which Beijing enacted in 2020 to criminalize secession, subversion, terrorism, and foreign collusion — broadly interpreted to target dissent. Critics, including Amnesty International and other human rights groups, describe the timing as deliberate, aimed at prolonging Wong’s detention and sending a chilling message to remaining activists.

Wong is currently incarcerated at Stanley Prison, serving a four-year-and-eight-month (56-month) sentence for conspiracy to commit subversion. This stems from his role in the landmark “Hong Kong 47” case — the city’s largest NSL prosecution — involving 47 pro-democracy figures who organized unofficial primaries ahead of the 2020 Legislative Council elections. Sentenced in November 2024 after pleading guilty (along with many others), Wong’s release was originally projected for January 2027.

The fresh charge was brought while Wong was already behind bars, with national security police arresting him directly in prison before transporting him to West Kowloon Magistrates’ Court for a brief appearance. He did not apply for bail, and the case has since been adjourned multiple times — most recently to March 2026 — with plans to transfer it to the High Court, where more severe penalties could apply.

Rights organizations, including Amnesty International, have condemned the move as an “outrageous” effort to keep one of Hong Kong’s most recognizable dissidents imprisoned “as long as possible.” The NSL, now approaching its sixth anniversary, continues to be used to suppress civic activism, international advocacy, and any perceived foreign ties — part of a broader crackdown that has dismantled much of Hong Kong’s once-vibrant pro-democracy movement.

This development underscores the interconnected struggles for rights and freedoms across China and its administered regions. Joshua Wong, now 29, has spent much of his adult life in and out of detention, symbolizing the high personal cost of peaceful advocacy. As his case progresses, it highlights ongoing concerns about judicial independence, prolonged incarceration through successive prosecutions, and the shrinking space for dissent in Hong Kong.

Uyghur Times will continue to monitor updates on Joshua Wong’s situation and broader human rights developments in Hong Kong.