Au Kam San, a veteran pro-democracy former lawmaker in Macao, received a 12.5-year prison sentence on Friday following a closed-door trial in the Chinese territory’s first publicly known prosecution under its national security law. The court found him guilty of subverting state power, breaching confidentiality, and establishing contact with organizations outside Macao to commit acts endangering national security. According to the court statement, Au assisted hostile organizations outside Macao over an extended period while collecting and disseminating political content containing ideas of state subversion and false information, with the intention of inciting hatred among residents against the central government.
The 69-year-old had served as a legislator for 20 years before stepping down in 2021 and was known for regularly criticizing government measures on social media, though many regarded his criticism as measured. The court alleged that between 2023 and 2024, Au helped overseas organizations spread false and distorted information to induce foreign countries to take hostile actions against China and Macao, and that in 2021 he leaked confidential information from closed-door legislative committee meetings regarding gaming license renewals to overseas groups.
The trial’s closed-door nature prompted concerns about fairness from legal experts and Au’s family. Jorge Menezes, a Portuguese lawyer practicing in Macao, noted that specific details about which organizations were involved and what information Au provided were not revealed, and questioned the clarity of Au’s admission of guilt. Au’s international counsel, Michael Polak, urged Portugal and the European Union to demand that Au, a Portuguese citizen, be permitted to leave Macao, characterizing such a lengthy sentence for someone of his age as effectively a life sentence.
The Macao government and Beijing’s officials endorsed the ruling. Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office stated the verdict demonstrated Macao’s commitment to safeguarding national security, while China’s Foreign Ministry opposed any external interference in the matter. Macao, a former Portuguese colony operating as a special administrative region since 1999, maintains distinct political and legal systems from mainland China and is the only Chinese city where casino gambling is legal.
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