Why is he in prison?

[Placeholder text – volunteers, please update] Joshua Wong began campaigning at the age of 14 for the democracy and freedoms promised to the people of Hong Kong. He has never used violence. He has been jailed, and charged again, for peaceful assembly, for taking part in a primary election, and for speaking to the world.

1. 13 October 1996

   Born in Hong Kong

2. 29 May 2011Aged 14

   Co-founded Scholarism

   He set up the student group Scholarism with fellow secondary school pupils.

   

3. 8 September 2012Aged 15

   National education plan shelved

   After Scholarism led an occupation outside government headquarters and tens of thousands rallied, the government dropped its compulsory "Moral and National Education" curriculum.

4. 26 September 2014Aged 17

   Arrested in Civic Square

   Arrested after leading students to reclaim Civic Square. The 79-day Umbrella Movement began two days later.

5. 10 April 2016Aged 19

   Co-founded Demosistō

   Founded the political party Demosistō with Nathan Law, Agnes Chow and others, serving as secretary-general.

6. 17 August 2017Aged 20

   Jailed for the first time

   Sentenced to six months over the Civic Square protest. The Court of Final Appeal overturned the sentence in February 2018.

7. 17 June 2019Aged 22

   Released, joins the 2019 protests

   Freed after a sentence linked to the 2014 Mong Kok clearance, he immediately joined the protests against the extradition bill.

8. 30 June 2020Aged 23

   National Security Law imposed

   Beijing imposed the National Security Law on Hong Kong. Demosistō disbanded the same day.

9. 23 November 2020Aged 24

   Remanded in custody

   Remanded after pleading guilty over the 21 June 2019 protest outside police headquarters. He has not been free since this day.

10. 2 December 2020Aged 24

    Sentenced to 13½ months

    Sentenced for the police headquarters protest.

11. 28 February 2021Aged 24

    Charged with "conspiracy to commit subversion"

    Charged with 46 other democrats for taking part in an unofficial primary election in 2020 – the "Hong Kong 47" case.

    

12. 6 May 2021Aged 24

    Ten more months for a Tiananmen vigil

    Sentenced for joining the 4 June 2020 candlelight vigil in Victoria Park.

13. 19 November 2024Aged 28

    Sentenced to 4 years and 8 months

    Sentenced in Hong Kong's largest national security trial.

14. 6 June 2025Aged 28

    Charged again while in prison

    Newly charged with "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces" under the National Security Law – an offence that carries up to life imprisonment.

15. 2 September 2026Aged 29

    Pleads guilty to the "foreign collusion" charge

    At the High Court he pleaded guilty to "conspiracy to collude with foreign forces". The offence carries a minimum of three years and up to life imprisonment; he had been due to finish his current sentence in 2027. [Volunteers – please verify and add the sentencing date]

16. TodayAged 29

    He is still in prison.

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