Joshua Wong pleads guilty in second case

Joshua Wong pleaded guilty in Hong Kong's High Court on Sept. 2 to conspiracy to collude with foreign forces, adding a second conviction under the Beijing-imposed national security law to the prison term he is already serving. The 29-year-old activist entered the plea before High Court judge William Tam in a case tied to lobbying foreign governments after the law took effect in 2020. (msn.com) Prosecutors said the offense carries a maximum sentence of life imprisonment. Wong had already been serving a four-year, eight-month sentence in the separate national security case over an unofficial 2020 primary election, and reports said he had been due for release in January. (uniteddaily.my) The charge makes Wong one of the best-known Hong Kong democracy figures to be convicted twice under the 2020 law. (hongkongwatch.org) The law was imposed by Beijing after the 2019 anti-government protests, and authorities in Hong Kong and China have said it was needed to restore stability. Critics including foreign governments and rights groups have said it has been used to crush dissent. ### What exactly did Joshua Wong admit to in court? Court reporting on Sept. 2 said Wong pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to collude with foreign forces to endanger national security. Prosecutors alleged that between July 1 and Nov. 23, 2020, he conspired in Hong Kong with Nathan Law and others to ask foreign institutions, organizations or individuals to impose sanctions, blockades or other hostile actions against Hong Kong or China. (msn.com) The New York Times and other reports said the case centered on Wong's contacts with Western politicians and his support for measures including sanctions on Hong Kong officials. Nathan Law, a former lawmaker and fellow activist, is in exile overseas. (apnews.com) ### How does this case connect to his earlier sentence? Wong is already in prison over the separate "47 democrats" national security case tied to an unofficial primary election held in 2020. Reports on Sept. 2 said he had been serving four years and eight months in that case, making this latest plea likely to extend the time he spends in custody. (uniteddaily.my) Reuters and other outlets reported that this was Wong's second conviction under the national security law. That makes him one of the highest-profile members of Hong Kong's former opposition camp to face repeated prosecution under the statute. (nytimes.com) ### Why is the foreign-collusion charge significant? The foreign-collusion offense is one of the most serious crimes in Hong Kong's national security law and carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment. AP and Reuters reported that Wong's plea came in a case that prosecutors framed around efforts to trigger foreign sanctions after Beijing enacted the law in June 2020. (eurasiareview.com) Jimmy Lai's case has been cited in related coverage as a benchmark because he received a 20-year sentence in February in a foreign-collusion prosecution, the longest term reported so far under the law. That comparison appeared in later coverage and commentary around Wong's hearing, though Wong's own sentence has not yet been set. (msn.com) ### Who is Nathan Law, and why is he named in the case? Nathan Law is a former Hong Kong lawmaker and pro-democracy activist who left Hong Kong and has continued advocacy work from overseas. Prosecutors alleged that Wong conspired with Law and unnamed others during the second half of 2020 to press foreign governments for punitive measures against Hong Kong and Chinese officials. (apnews.com) The naming of Law links the case to Hong Kong authorities' broader focus on overseas activism. Reports on the hearing said the prosecution described the alleged conspiracy as part of a campaign for international pressure after the security law took effect. (hk.ibtimes.com) ### What happens next in the case? Judge William Tam adjourned sentencing to a later date after Wong's guilty plea on Sept. 2. Court and media reports did not give a final sentence at the hearing, leaving the length of any added prison term to be decided in a subsequent proceeding. Hong Kong's judiciary had earlier listed Sept. 2 for Wong's plea and sentencing hearing, according to Hong Kong Free Press. (dimsumdaily.hk) The next milestone is the sentencing decision in the High Court, where Tam will determine how the new punishment fits alongside Wong's existing prison term. (hongkongfp.com) (upi.com) (hongkongwatch.org)