Joshua Wong handed 10 years in prison in second Hong Kong security law conviction

Joshua Wong is going to prison for a decade. A court handed the Hong Kong activist a 10-year sentence in his second conviction under the national security law imposed by Beijing, the Associated Press reported.

The law was written and pushed through by Beijing, not Hong Kong's own legislature, and it has become the backbone of a sweeping crackdown on dissent in the city. Wong's case is now among the most severe outcomes produced by that legal framework.

It's his second time being convicted under the same statute, a detail that signals how aggressively authorities are pursuing repeat defendants. Each conviction under the law carries the potential for long terms behind bars.

Wong rose to prominence as one of the most visible faces of Hong Kong's pro-democracy movement, and his name has been a flashpoint in the international fight over the city's autonomy. The sentence is likely to draw fresh scrutiny from governments that have criticized Beijing's moves against Hong Kong's civil liberties.

What comes next is unclear. The AP did not detail whether Wong plans to appeal.