Joshua Wong pleads guilty to foreign collusion in Hong Kong security case

Hong Kong pro‑democracy activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty on Wednesday to the charge of colluding with foreign forces, marking the conclusion of a second national security case brought against him since the 2020 enactment of the city’s national security law. The plea was entered at the High Court in Hong Kong, where prosecutors had alleged that Wong had coordinated with overseas individuals and organisations to undermine state authority. Under the law, the foreign‑collusion offence carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, a sentence that could be imposed if the court deems the conduct sufficiently grave.

Wong, a prominent figure in the 2014 Umbrella Movement and a former leader of the now‑dissolved Demosistō party, was previously convicted in 2021 on similar national‑security charges and sentenced to nine months in prison. The current case follows a broader crackdown on dissent, with dozens of activists, journalists and politicians facing charges ranging from subversion to sedition. The court is expected to deliver a verdict and sentencing in the coming weeks, concluding a legal saga that has drawn international attention to Hong Kong’s evolving judicial landscape.