Joshua Wong, face of Hong Kong's pro-democracy protests, jailed for 10 years

Joshua Wong, once the face of Hong Kong's democracy movement, has been sentenced to 10 years in jail for colluding with foreign forces under the city's sweeping national security law.

Wong is among hundreds of campaigners and ordinary Hongkongers arrested under the law, which was imposed in 2020 following explosive pro-democracy protests against Beijing's growing control.

Critics say the far-reaching law has silenced dissent, but authorities argue that it is needed to maintain stability and deny it has weakened the city's cherished autonomy.

Having already spent the last six years in jail, Wong, who was due to be freed in January, will now spend another decade behind bars.

Wong, who turned 30 last month, has already been imprisoned multiple times for his activism which started when he was a teen.

On Thursday, he arrived in court wearing a dark blue long-sleeved shirt, khaki trousers and black-rimmed glasses. He looked slimmer compared to his previous public appearances.

He nodded in greeting towards members of the packed public gallery, and took notes intermittently as the judge read out the reasons for his sentencing.

A crowd had gathered outside the court, with dozens of Hongkongers having queued for hours hoping to get a seat in the public gallery. There was also a heavy police presence.

Kaynak: BBC News World RSS (Açık Basın / Haber Servisi)