Hong Kong Activist Joshua Wong Charged with Collusion

Hong Kong authorities have once again detained prominent activist Joshua Wong, charging him with conspiracy to collude with a foreign country under the national security law imposed by Beijing. This moves comes as Wong, who is currently serving a 56-month jail sentence for earlier offences, faced legal proceedings at West Kowloon magistrates' courts on Friday.

Wong, who appeared visibly thinner and wore a blue shirt to the court, acknowledged the new charge which accuses him of conspiring with exiled activist Nathan Law and others to solicit foreign sanctions on China. The case has now been adjourned to August 8, with Wong ordered back to custody without bail.

The national security police released a statement confirming the arrest, citing actions taken in 2020 meant to endanger national security. Although the Chinese and Hong Kong governments maintain the necessity of such laws to maintain order, Western governments continue to criticize them for suppressing free speech and dissent.

(With inputs from agencies.)