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HONG KONG – Prominent pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong (黃之鋒) has been slapped with a new charge under Hong Kong’s sweeping national security law while already serving a lengthy prison sentence.

Wong, 28, is currently serving four years and eight months after being convicted in 2024 for his involvement in organising an unofficial opposition primary election.

On 6 June 2025, he was arrested inside Stanley Prison by officers from the national security department of the police and transferred to West Kowloon Magistrates’ Courts, where he was charged with conspiring to collude with foreign forces.

If convicted, Wong faces life imprisonment.

Alleged collusion with Nathan Law

According to a charge sheet obtained by the Hong Kong Free Press, Wong is accused of conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law (羅冠聰) and “other persons unknown” between 1 July and 23 November 2020.

Authorities allege the group:

• Requested foreign governments or organisations to impose sanctions or blockades on Hong Kong and mainland China.

• Conspired to solicit foreign interference aimed at disrupting the development or implementation of local and national policies.

Prosecutors argue the alleged actions could cause “serious consequences.”

The case has been adjourned until 8 August 2025.

Separately, police confirmed Wong was also arrested on suspicion of money laundering, though he has not been formally charged on that front.

Context: Beijing’s 2020 security law

The national security law (NSL) was imposed directly by Beijing in June 2020, bypassing Hong Kong’s legislature.

It criminalises acts of secession, subversion, terrorism, and collusion with foreign forces, with penalties ranging up to life in prison.

• Critics argue the law is vaguely defined and has been used to silence dissent, dismantle civil society groups, and erode freedoms promised under the “one country, two systems” framework.

• Authorities maintain the law has restored order after the 2019 mass protests and is necessary for stability.

Since its enactment, dozens of activists, journalists, and politicians have been arrested, and many advocacy groups have disbanded under legal pressure.

Wong’s long record of activism and jail terms

Wong first rose to prominence in his teens as a student leader during the 2012 protests against national education. He later became one of the most recognisable faces of Hong Kong’s democracy movement.

His convictions include:

• December 2020: Sentenced to 13.5 months for organising and participating in unauthorised assemblies.

• April 2021: Received four more months for involvement in a 2019 protest and violating the city’s anti-mask law.

• November 2024: Among 47 opposition figures convicted in Hong Kong’s largest national security trial, relating to the 2020 unofficial primary election. He received a four-year, eight-month sentence.

That mass trial drew international condemnation, with the United Nations, the European Union, and the United States calling it politically motivated.

Escalating legal pressure

Wong’s latest charge highlights Beijing’s tightening control over dissent in the city, raising the prospect that his imprisonment could extend well beyond his current term.

Human rights advocates say the addition of a foreign collusion charge, carrying a maximum penalty of life imprisonment, underscores the heavy use of the national security law to stifle any remaining opposition voices.