Jailed Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong hit with new fees

Jailed pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong has been hit with additional nationwide safety fees, a transfer rights teams mentioned confirmed the Hong Kong authorities was attempting to maintain dissidents behind bars for so long as doable.

Wong, a well known activist who has been in jail for greater than 4 years both awaiting trial or serving sentences, is accused of conspiracy to collude with a international nation. He appeared in court docket on Friday to listen to the cost and didn’t apply for bail.

Hong Kong’s nationwide safety police mentioned in an announcement they’d arrested a 28-year-old man on suspicion of the offence, in addition to for “coping with property recognized or believed to symbolize proceeds of an indictable offence”.

In keeping with the cost sheet, considered by Reuters and Hong Kong Free Press, Wong is accused of conspiring with fellow democracy activist Nathan Legislation, who’s in exile abroad, and others to ask international international locations, establishments, organisations or people outdoors China to impose sanctions or blockades.

He’s additionally accused of conspiring to ask international events to “severely disrupt the formulation and implementation of legal guidelines and insurance policies” in Hong Kong and China, “which was prone to trigger critical penalties”, Hong Kong Free Press reported.

The cost comes underneath Hong Kong’s nationwide safety legislation, which was imposed on town by Beijing in 2020 after the 2019 pro-democracy protests introduced town to a standstill.

The legislation has been criticised by international governments and rights teams as overly broad and ill-defined, and simply weaponised to crush the opposition by criminalising even benign acts of dissent. The Hong Kong and central Chinese language governments reject the criticism and say the legislation was wanted to revive order to town.

Wong is because of be launched in January 2027. He’s serving protest-related sentences, together with a 56-month time period for his function amongst the so-called “Hong Kong 47” group of politicians, activists, campaigners and neighborhood members who held unofficial pre-election primaries in 2020. The cohort had been sentenced in November, on the finish of Hong Kong’s largest nationwide safety trial. Simply two of the 47 had been acquitted.

Human Rights Watch’s affiliate China director, Maya Wong, known as the brand new fees in opposition to Wong “arbitrary, merciless and outrageous”.

“Whereas imprisoned underneath one trumped-up cost, Joshua Wong has been all of a sudden slapped with yet one more because the authorities seem intent on retaining one in every of Hong Kong’s most influential democracy leaders behind bars,” she mentioned.

Amnesty Worldwide mentioned the brand new fees may see him given a life sentence if discovered responsible.

“Hong Kong’s nationwide safety legislation is popping 5 years outdated on the finish of the month, and these new fees in opposition to Joshua Wong present that its capability for use by the Hong Kong authorities to threaten human rights within the metropolis is as potent and current as ever,” mentioned the organisation’s China director, Sarah Brooks.

“As soon as once more, the imprecise and sweeping offence of ‘collusion with international forces’ is being weaponised to justify an assault on the freedoms of expression and affiliation.

“This newest cost in opposition to him underscores the authorities’ concern of outstanding dissidents and exhibits the lengths they are going to go to maintain them behind bars for so long as doable – in so doing, persevering with a chilling impact on civic activism within the metropolis.”

Reuters contributed to this report