London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Friday, Oct 24, 2025

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong arrested in prison after 53 Democrats detained

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong arrested in prison after 53 Democrats detained

Police had rounded up dozens of activists and Democrats the previous day for organising an unofficial primary.

Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been arrested in jail on a new charge, while a detained American lawyer has been granted bail.

Mr Wong, 24, was arrested on Thursday morning on suspicion of violating the controversial national security law imposed on Hong Kong last June, his friends and family said.

The leading activist, who is serving a 13-month prison sentence for organising and participating in an unauthorised protest in 2019, was taken away to give a statement on the new charge, a post on his Facebook page said.

Tam Tak-chi, a fellow activist in prison for "uttering seditious words", was arrested as well, local media reported.

On Wednesday, 53 activists and Democrat Party members were arrested over their organisation and participation in last July's unofficial primary election for the since-postponed 2020 Legislative Council election.

The arrests mark a major increase in the use of the security law - which was brought in by China last year and prompted months of protests.

It made acts of subversion, secession, terrorism and collusion with foreign powers to intervene in Hong Kong affairs illegal, with a maximum punishment of life imprisonment.

It has been strongly criticised by many Western governments, who have accused China of trying to crush any hint of dissent.


Opposition Democrats resigned in November after their colleagues were ousted


Hong Kong Police said the 53 arrested are accused of committing subversion under the law after they proposed using strategic voting to secure a legislative majority to veto government budgets.

Police said the ultimate goal of the accused was to force the territory's chief executive, Carrie Lam, to resign and to shut down the government.

One of those arrested was American human rights lawyer John Clancey, who works at law firm Ho Tse Wai and Partners.


Demonstrators scuffled with police ahead of the law being approved last year


He was granted bail on Thursday, his associate said.

Most of those arrested were candidates in the primary but Mr Clancey was a treasurer for political organisation Power for Democracy, which was involved in the event.

Former legislative council member Au Nok-hin was bailed on Wednesday as he was in quarantine for COVID-19 when he was arrested, NOW TV reported.

The rest of the group are expected to be bailed on Thursday without charges - for the moment - but most have had their passports confiscated, an unnamed source told the South China Morning Post.

UK foreign secretary Dominic Raab called the arrests a "grievous attack on Hong Kong's rights and freedoms".


Hongkongers held a vigil in June in memory of the Tiananmen Square massacre, despite being banned


He said they were protected under the Joint Declaration signed by China and the UK when Hong Kong was handed back to China in 1997.

"These arrests demonstrate that the Hong Kong and Chinese authorities deliberately misled the world about the true purpose of the National Security Law, which is being used to crush dissent and opposing political views," he said.

"The UK will not turn our backs on the people of Hong Kong and will continue to offer British Nationals (Overseas) the right to live and work in the UK."

Mike Pompeo, the US secretary of state, said he was "appalled" and called it a "campaign of political oppression", while the UN also condemned the arrests.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
U.S. Chamber Sues Trump Over $100,000 H-1B Visa Fee
Shenzhen Expo Spotlights China’s Quantum Step in Semiconductor Self-Reliance
China Accelerates to the Forefront in Global Nuclear Fusion Race
Yachts, Private Jets, and a Picasso Painting: Exposed as 'One of the Largest Frauds in History'
Australia’s Wedgetail Spies Aid NATO Response as Russian MiGs Breach Estonian Airspace
McGowan Urges Chalmers to Cut Spending Over Tax Hike to Close $20 Billion Budget Gap
Victoria Orders Review of Transgender Prison Placement Amid Safety Concerns for Female Inmates
U.S. Treasury Mobilises New $20 Billion Debt Facility to Stabilise Argentina
French Business Leaders Decry Budget as Macron’s Pro-Enterprise Promise Undermined
Trump Claims Modi Pledged India Would End Russian Oil Imports Amid U.S. Tariff Pressure
×