China's crackdown on dissent intensifies as Hong Kong activist sentenced to 10 years in prison

Amnesty International has strongly condemned the 10-year prison sentence handed to prominent pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, accusing Hong Kong authorities of weaponising Beijing's National Security Law (NSL) to suppress political dissent and silence opposition voices.

Amnesty International has strongly condemned the 10-year prison sentence handed to prominent pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong, accusing Hong Kong authorities of weaponising Beijing's National Security Law (NSL) to suppress political dissent and silence opposition voices. Reacting to Wong's latest conviction for conspiring to collude with foreign forces, Amnesty International's Deputy Regional Director Sarah Brooks described the sentencing as another example of the systematic persecution of activists in the Chinese-controlled territory.

Brooks criticised the timing of the conviction, noting that Wong was only months away from completing his previous prison sentence, which was scheduled to end in January 2027. Amnesty argued that Wong's continued imprisonment demonstrated how national security legislation was being exploited to criminalise peaceful political activities rather than address genuine security threats.

Wong pleaded guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed NSL. Prosecutors accused him of working with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and unidentified individuals between July and November 2020 to seek international sanctions and other punitive measures against Hong Kong and China. The latest conviction follows Wong's sentencing in 2024, when he received four years and eight months in prison for conspiracy to commit subversion.

He was among 45 opposition figures imprisoned over their involvement in unofficial primary elections held in 2020, a case that attracted international criticism. United Nations experts had raised concerns that the prosecuted activities were protected under international human rights law. Amnesty International further highlighted the worsening human rights situation in Hong Kong since Beijing introduced the NSL in 2020.

According to the organisation, more than 300 individuals have been arrested under national security or colonial-era sedition provisions, while the introduction of Article 23 legislation in 2024 has further restricted political freedoms. Calling for stronger international intervention, Amnesty urged governments to challenge the criminalisation of legitimate activism and demand the release of individuals imprisoned for exercising fundamental rights. (ANI)