Who is Joshua Wong? Hong Kong pro-democracy face gets 10 more years in prison

Joshua Wong, one of the most prominent faces of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, has been sentenced to another 10 years in prison for “foreign collusion,” under controversial national security law. Already serving a sentence in another case, the 30-year-old activist is now expected to remain behind bars until late 2036.

Wong gained international recognition for leading protests against Beijing's growing control over Hong Kong. His activism also made him the subject of a Netflix documentary and brought him appearances on magazine covers across the world.

Born in 1996 to middle-class Christian parents, Wong grew up in Hong Kong shortly before the territory was handed over by Britain to China in 1997.

He entered activism at the age of 13, when he joined protests against a proposed high-speed rail link connecting Hong Kong with mainland China.

His campaign against a proposed national education curriculum in 2012 brought him wider attention. Wong helped mobilise around 120,000 protesters who blocked the government headquarters, eventually forcing authorities to withdraw the plan.

He later became known for promoting non-violent protests, civil disobedience, strikes and boycotts.

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Role in Hong Kong's democracy protests

Wong emerged as a leading figure during the 2014 Umbrella Movement, when he joined fellow student leaders Nathan Law and Alex Chow in demanding democratic reforms.

Although the movement failed to secure concessions from Beijing, it established Wong as one of Hong Kong's most recognisable pro-democracy activists.

In 2016, he founded the political party Demosisto to demand greater self-determination for Hong Kong. The party argued that the city's residents, rather than Beijing, should decide its political future. However, unlike more radical activists, Wong did not call for Hong Kong's independence from China.

He also took part in the massive pro-democracy protests in 2019, which were sometimes marked by violent clashes. Beijing responded by introducing a national security law in Hong Kong in 2020.

Following the law's implementation on June 30, 2020, Demosisto disbanded.

Wong has spent more than 2,000 days in prison across multiple convictions linked to his activism. He was due to be released in January, but the latest 10-year sentence has further extended his time behind bars. He is now not expected to walk free until late 2036.