Ten countries challenge Hong Kong prosecutions after Joshua Wong’s 10-year sentence

Joshua Wong has been sentenced to 10 years’ imprisonment following a further charge under Hong Kong’s National Security Law, prompting ten countries to call for an immediate end to prosecutions they regard as unjust.

In a joint statement, the foreign ministries of Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States said the sentence came just months after leaders of the Hong Kong Alliance were convicted under the same legislation.

The ministries described the cases as further examples of the law being used to target individuals for political expression and participation. They called for an immediate end to all unjust prosecutions of people charged under the legislation.

They also urged the authorities in China and Hong Kong to uphold their international commitments and honour the rights and freedoms guaranteed to Hong Kong’s people under the 1984 Sino-British Joint Declaration.