Macao's First National Security Case: Former Lawmaker Au Kam San Sentenced to 12 Years and 6 Months
The Court of First Instance of Macao, China, on November 6 sentenced former lawmaker Au Kam San, 69, to 12 years and six months in prison in the territory's first national security case. Both the Associated Press and Reuters reported that it was the first publicly known prosecution under Macao's national security law since the law took effect in 2009.
The court found Au guilty of subverting state power, establishing links with organizations, groups or individuals outside Macao to commit acts endangering national security, and violating confidentiality obligations; he was acquitted on two additional subversion counts for insufficient evidence. In its statement, the court said Au had for a long period assisted and cooperated with what it called hostile organizations outside Macao, collecting, preparing and disseminating political views laden with ideas of subverting state power and false information. The confidentiality count concerned his leaking, while a Legislative Assembly member in 2021, of the contents of a closed-door committee meeting to an overseas organization; the meeting concerned the renewal of gaming licenses. According to Reuters, citing Macao broadcaster TDM, the applicable range for Au's cumulative sentence was between 11 years and 3 months and 19 years and 6 months, and the court imposed a single consolidated sentence of 12 years and 6 months.
"Although the defendant is a first-time offender and admitted to a considerable portion of the criminal facts, he demonstrated a high degree of intent. The degree of unlawfulness and the potential consequences of his crimes are both very serious," the court statement said.
Au is a retired schoolteacher who served as a Macao lawmaker for nearly two decades. He was arrested on July 30, 2025. Macao's national security law was broadened in 2023, and his trial was held behind closed doors in September, with the judge saying the step was needed to ensure no prejudice to national security interests. Macao's authorities never publicly disclosed the details of the case.
In a public letter, Au's wife, Virginia Cheang, called the case a groundless persecution designed to humiliate Au, and wrote that she only hoped authorities would allow his family to exchange letters with him and visit him regularly. Au's daughter in London, Au Hon I, told the Associated Press that her father is a peaceful family man who cares deeply about Macao.
Beijing's Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said in an article that national security is a red line that must not be crossed, and criticized Au for long colluding with external forces under the banners of so-called democracy and freedom. China's Foreign Ministry said it firmly opposes any external forces using individual cases as a pretext to interfere in Macao's affairs. Michael Polak, Au's international counsel, called on Portugal and the European Union to demand that Au, a Portuguese citizen, be allowed to leave Macao, saying that a sentence like that for someone of his age could mean he dies in prison. The EU condemned Au's arrest in 2025, saying it added to concerns about the erosion of political pluralism and freedom of speech in Macao; the European External Action Service issued a spokesperson statement on the verdict on November 6.
(Source: The Associated Press)
Source: The Associated Press
Published by GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：澳门初级法院刑事法庭大楼。Wikimedia Commons，CC BY-SA 4.0。 / Photo: Criminal Court Building of the Macao Court of First Instance. Via Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0.
