Nancy Pelosi calls for release of Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong

Nancy Pelosi, U.S. House Speaker Emerita, has called on the international community and Congress to secure the release of Hong Kong pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong. Wong, a 29-year-old Christian, recently pleaded guilty to a national security charge involving collusion with foreign entities. Under Hong Kong’s national security law, this offense carries a potential sentence of life imprisonment.

During a speech on the House floor, Pelosi characterized the national security law as a “repression law” that is “anything but security.” She also highlighted the plight of Jimmy Lai, noting he could spend the remainder of his life in prison. Pelosi emphasized that lawmakers must ensure political prisoners do not feel forgotten and urged continued bipartisan support for human rights in Hong Kong and Tibet.

The guilty plea was accepted by Judge William Tam at the High Court in Hong Kong’s Admiralty district. Prosecutors linked Wong’s actions to his former role in the disbanded political party Demosisto, alleging the group campaigned for foreign sanctions against Beijing and Hong Kong during 2019 and 2020.