The Macau court sentenced Au Kam San, a 69-year-old former member of the Legislative Assembly and pro-democracy activist, to 12 years and 6 months in prison for subversion. This is the first case under the expanded national security law enacted in 2023. Meanwhile, his family and human rights organizations have voiced concerns about the fairness of the trial process.
Macau, a Special Administrative Region of China, sentenced former legislator and pro-democracy activist Au Kam San to 12 years and 6 months in prison today (6 Nov) after convicting him of subversion, breaching secrecy, and contacting foreign organizations, groups, or individuals to carry out acts harmful to national security.
This case marks the first sentencing under Macau's expanded national security law of 2023. Au, aged 69, was arrested in July 2025. The trial lasted three days in September before the court issued its verdict today. The proceedings were conducted behind closed doors.
The court stated that Au had long assisted and cooperated with what authorities termed “hostile external organizations” in collecting, producing, and disseminating politically sensitive information and images aimed at subverting state power. He also attempted to incite Macau residents to hate the central Chinese government, intending to overthrow and undermine the country's fundamental system.
Au is a former teacher who entered politics after the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing. He served as a member of Macau’s Legislative Assembly for 20 years before resigning in 2021. He was also one of the organizers of annual memorial events for the Tiananmen victims in Macau.
Prior to his arrest, Au was a vocal critic of the Macau government, expressing opinions on government policies and political developments through Facebook and interviews.
The case has raised concerns about political rights and freedoms. The European Union previously condemned the arrest, stating it heightened worries over the decline of political pluralism in Macau. Human rights organizations and Au’s family have questioned the fairness of the judicial process.
Au’s daughter, who lives in London, revealed that the family has been unable to see or speak with him for nearly a year since his detention. They received only one phone call from him, lasting less than a minute, shortly after his arrest.
The family demands a fair trial, respect for due process, and permission to visit or at least communicate with Au.
Macau, a former Portuguese colony returned to Chinese sovereignty in 1999, is a Special Administrative Region like Hong Kong, with its own legal and political systems. However, the 2023 expansion of the national security law has tightened penalties for security-related cases and is seen as a significant turning point for Macau’s legal landscape and political freedoms.