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Ex-lawmaker jailed in Macau’s first national security trial
A Macau court has sentenced former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San to 12 years and six months in prison in the territory’s first national security trial. The 69-year-old was convicted of “subversion against the political power of the State”, in a case that highlights the authorities’ use of national security laws against dissent.
The court said Au shared information with organisations outside Macau and sought to stir opposition to the city’s government and Beijing. Detained in July 2025, he faced a three-day closed-door trial that ended in September; a judge ruled an open hearing could threaten national security. Au served in Macau’s legislature for two decades and co-organised vigils marking the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
In short
- Au Kam San received a 12-and-a-half-year prison sentence.
- The case is Macau’s first publicly known national security prosecution.
- His closed-door trial prompted concerns about fairness.