Macau sentences Au Kam San to 12 years in first national security jail term
The former lawmaker was convicted of subversion following a closed-door trial, a move that tightens oversight on political dissent in the territory.
By Austin Reed ·
Au Kam San, 69, will spend the next 12 years and six months in prison after a Macau court found him guilty of subverting the state's power. The sentence marks the first time the territory has convicted a defendant under its national security law. For families of political dissidents, the ruling confirms that legal proceedings can be conducted without public scrutiny, limiting outside observation of the judicial process.
The legal framework governing this case has evolved over the last two decades. Macau returned to Chinese control in 1999, ending more than 400 years of Portuguese rule. A national security law took effect in 2009, defining crimes such as treason and secession. The statute was amended in 2023 to cover non-violent acts of secession. It was revised again this year to permit trials to be held behind closed doors.
Prosecutors alleged that Au collaborated with external hostile organizations by collecting and sharing information containing subversive political claims. They claimed these activities occurred over a long period. Au was arrested in July 2025. He faced three counts of subverting state power, three counts of endangering national security through contact with foreign groups, and one count of breach of confidentiality. A three-day trial concluded in September. A judge ruled that the proceedings must be private to protect national security interests.
The court found Au guilty on four of the seven charges. Authorities did not release details of the case to the public. Au's family reported that he was assigned a court-appointed lawyer and was not permitted to choose his own legal representative. His wife, Virginia Cheang, criticized the outcome as a groundless persecution designed to humiliate her husband. She issued an open letter on Friday expressing hope that officials would allow the family regular visits and correspondence.
Au served in the Legislative Assembly for 20 years after being elected in September 2001. He was one of few pro-democracy members in a body dominated by pro-Beijing loyalists. Before entering politics, he worked as a primary school teacher. He helped organize annual vigils to mark the anniversary of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. These commemorations were tolerated in Macau and Hong Kong until China enforced a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020.
The verdict arrived one day after Hong Kong sentenced Joshua Wong to 10 years in jail. Wong, 30, has been in custody for the past six years. The simultaneous actions in the two territories suggest a synchronized approach to enforcing national security statutes across the region.
Cheang said she did not dare to hope for more than basic family contact, noting that higher expectations would lead to greater disappointment. The sentencing concludes the first national security case in Macau's history under the current legal regime.
