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Joshua Wong, one of the most prominent members of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, received a 10-year sentence on charges of "collusion with foreign forces." Wong has already spent the last six years behind bars. He was due to be released in January, but now faces another ten years in prison. The 30-year-old activist is not expected to be released until the end of 2036.
Wong was one of the leaders of the 2014 Umbrella Revolution as well as the large pro-democracy protests of 2019. Initially, the reason for the protests was a bill allowing extradition from Hong Kong to mainland China.
However, protesters soon began to demand extensive democratic reforms.
The charge of "collusion with foreign forces" is brought under Beijing's Hong Kong National Security Law 2020. It carries penalties of up to life in prison for a range of crimes, including collusion with foreign forces.
Wong is one of hundreds of activists and ordinary Hong Kong residents arrested under the law.
Critics say the law, which gives authorities broad powers, has effectively stifled dissent. The authorities, in turn, say it is necessary to maintain 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 Low, pushed for foreign countries to impose sanctions on China and other restrictive measures against Beijing.
The alleged activities occurred between July and November 2020, shortly after the National Security Act took effect.
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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 group Amnesty International previously said the charges against Wong "underscore the authorities' fear of high-profile opposition figures and demonstrate the lengths they are willing to go to to keep them behind bars for as long as possible."
As he left the courtroom on Thursday, Wong thanked his supporters and waved. In response, they chanted: “We will wait for your release.”
The 2014 protest movement failed to extract concessions from either China's communist leadership or Hong Kong's pro-Beijing authorities.
Activism came at a cost for Wong and other protest participants: authorities opened criminal cases against him and other leaders of the Umbrella Revolution.
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