Madras Times - Hong Kong court set to sentence activist Joshua Wong in security case

HONG KONG: A Hong Kong court will sentence pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong on Thursday in his second national security trial, which could see him jailed for life, as reported by the judiciary’s website. The website showed on Tuesday that a sentencing hearing was scheduled for Nov 5. Wong pleaded guilty to the collusion charges in September. He is already serving a jail term of almost five years for subversion and was due for release in early 2027. The 30-year-old former student leader is one of the most recognizable faces of the city’s democracy movement, which has since been quashed.

He was charged last year under a national security law that Beijing imposed on Hong Kong, a move condemned by rights groups. Wong rose to prominence during widespread protests over a decade ago. He was later involved in the huge pro-democracy rallies of 2019 that led to the law being imposed. Prosecutors said Wong, self-exiled activist Nathan Law and others asked foreign entities to seriously disrupt the making and implementation of laws or policies in Hong Kong and China. Foreign collusion can be punished with life imprisonment if the offense is found to be of a “serious nature”.

Wong’s lawyer has argued for a shorter sentence of three to 10 years. The lawyer observed that Wong has already spent around six years in prison for various offenses. Wong’s friends told AFP earlier this year that he remained “energetic” in detention, where he works out, plays the guitar and studies university courses. — AFP

Q.Dutta--MT