Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong pleaded guilty on Wednesday to a charge of colluding with foreign forces to jeopardize national security under a law imposed by Beijing. This law has significantly impacted the city’s once-vibrant pro-democracy movement.

This was the second time Wong, a former student leader in the pro-democracy movement and a prominent figure, faced prosecution under the national security law enacted in Hong Kong in 2020 following massive anti-government protests in the preceding year.

Appearing in court in a blue shirt, Wong looked thinner as he entered his guilty plea. Prior to the hearing, a supporter encouraged him to stay strong, while his friend Louis Lee mentioned that Wong had been engaged in various activities like reading, studying, playing the guitar, and exercising while in prison. Lee expressed hope for Wong’s early release from prison.

Wong is awaiting sentencing, with the offense carrying a potential prison term of three to 10 years, or even life imprisonment if deemed a serious offense. Having already pleaded guilty in another national security case related to an unofficial political primary, Wong was serving a sentence of four years and eight months and was due for release in January before the new charges.

Critics argue that Wong’s case underscores the authorities’ efforts to silence prominent dissenters, dampening civic activism. Beijing views Wong as an anti-China advocate who supports Hong Kong independence, which crosses a red line for the authorities.

At 29, Wong was accused of conspiring with fellow activist Nathan Law and others to solicit foreign entities to take actions against Hong Kong or China between July 1 and November 23, 2020. Wong gained prominence in 2012 as a high school student leading protests against national education reforms in Hong Kong schools, and later as a key figure in the 2014 Occupy Movement.

In 2016, Wong co-established the political party “Demosisto” with other young activists, including Law, who became the city’s youngest legislator the same year. In the leaderless 2019 protests, Wong sought international support for the democracy movement, drawing criticism from Beijing for allegedly seeking foreign intervention.

Demosisto disbanded following the imposition of the security law in 2020, deemed necessary by authorities for the city’s stability. Several other activists, including media mogul Jimmy Lai, were also imprisoned under the law, while some activists fled to democratic nations like the U.S. and the U.K.

Hong Kong authorities have offered rewards for information leading to the arrests of Law, now residing in Britain, and other activists based overseas.