Hong Kong’s prisoners are China’s signal to the world: there is no hope for democracy on its soil
The Guardian · Nathan Law ·
My friend Joshua Wong was due to be released next January. Under draconian security laws, his sentence has been extended by 10 years, says pro-democracy activist Nathan Law
Two years ago, I wrote in this newspaper about the lengthy imprisonment of my friend Joshua Wong, who I spent years campaigning alongside for the advancement of Hong Kong’s democracy. He was given an unjust sentence meant to keep him behind bars until January 2027. He was supposed to be released in a few months, when I hoped he would finally be able to reunite with his friends and family and embark on a new chapter.
But this hope was misplaced. The end of the tunnel isn’t next year; it’s late 2036. By then, he will be 40. On Thursday, Joshua was sentenced to another 10 years under Hong Kong’s national security law for colluding with foreign forces. He is the only political prisoner who’s been convicted twice under the national security law. The judge described Joshua and me as “two ringleaders or masterminds” urging foreign powers to impose sanctions and other hostile actions against the Chinese and Hong Kong governments. The judgment cited previous international advocacy work, media interviews, social media posts and the political activities of Demosistō, the youth-led democratic party we founded.
Much of the cited evidence predates the implementation of the national security law, even though the court insisted it was not being applied retrospectively. Before 2020, meeting with foreign parliamentarians, engaging with and speaking to international institutions, and advocating for measures against human rights abuses were ordinary campaign strategies. These were peaceful means through which we tried to hold those in power accountable. The campaigns raised the profile of Hong Kong’s protests and garnered substantial support; they were so effective that Beijing had to impose the national security law to curb them and impose extensive legal punishments.
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