Hong Kong Rebuts Ten-Nation Criticism of Wong Sentence

Hong Kong democracy activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the national security law. Ten countries, including the United States and United Kingdom, criticized the case, saying the law is being used to punish political expression and calling for an end to what they described as unjust prosecutions. Hong Kong’s government rejected the criticism, arguing that it distorted the facts, interfered with judicial independence and misrepresented the national security law; it said Wong’s guilty plea and sentence followed fair legal proceedings. Hong Kong lawmakers also condemned foreign governments’ statements, while Beijing urged other countries to respect China’s sovereignty and stop interfering in Hong Kong’s judicial affairs.