Macau Sentences Au Kam San to 12.5 Years in Security Case

Former Macau lawmaker Au Kam San has been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in the territory’s first publicly known prosecution under its national security law.

The 69-year-old former teacher and pro-democracy legislator was convicted of subversion, establishing links with outside organizations to endanger national security and breaching confidentiality. Authorities arrested him in July 2025, and his trial took place behind closed doors in September.

The case also involved confidential information from a 2021 legislative committee meeting on Macau’s gaming concession renewals. The court said Au later shared material from that meeting with organizations outside the territory.

Court Details National Security and Secrecy Findings

The Court of First Instance found that Au had assisted organizations outside Macau over an extended period and helped distribute material it considered hostile to state authority.

According to the court:

“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,”

Judges also found that Au helped spread information between 2023 and 2024 that was intended to encourage hostility toward China and Macau and disrupt the territory’s 2024 leadership election.

He was acquitted of two additional subversion charges after the court found insufficient evidence to meet the legal threshold.

The secrecy offence related to a closed legislative committee meeting on gaming licence renewals in 2021. The court did not identify the organizations that received the information or disclose exactly what Au had shared.

Macau later awarded new 10-year gaming concessions to the six existing operators in 2022, including businesses affiliated with Las Vegas Sands, MGM Resorts and Wynn Resorts. The agreements took effect in January 2023.

Au received nine months for the secrecy offence and 11 years and three months for subversion. The court combined those penalties with the other convictions into a single 12.5-year term.

Closed-Door Proceedings Draw Criticism

The court said the trial was held privately to protect national security interests and maintained that Au had access to a court-appointed lawyer and could exercise his defense rights.

His family disputed parts of that account. Au’s wife, Virginia Cheang, described the proceedings as political persecution.

“From a closed-door trial to a public verdict, what kind of operation is this? It’s a political trial and it’s a groundless persecution to humiliate one’s character,” Cheang said.

As reported by The Independent, Au’s daughter, Cherry Au, who lives in London, also criticized the ruling.

“it’s a very scary chapter that they’re starting.”

She added:

“It just doesn’t feel like a safe space anymore being in Macao. And it’s very heartbreaking,”

Michael Polak, who has assisted the family internationally, called on Portugal and the European Union to press for Au’s release.

“A sentence like that for someone of that age is a sentence for life,” he said. “If he was left in Macao, he could die in prison.”

Portuguese lawyer Jorge Menezes also questioned the limited public detail about the case.

“From what I see, he did not plead guilty. Otherwise, they would have said. So this is misleading and unfortunate,” he said. “It violates his dignity.”

Human Rights Watch separately criticized the prosecution and raised concerns about the treatment of peaceful political criticism in Macau.

Former Lawmaker Was a Longtime Opposition Figure

Au served in Macau’s legislature for about 20 years before stepping down in 2021. He was also involved in local commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and regularly criticized government policies before his arrest.

Macau’s government backed the verdict and said it would continue enforcing national security legislation. Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macau Affairs Office said the ruling reflected the territory’s commitment to safeguarding national security.

China’s Foreign Ministry rejected outside criticism and opposed foreign involvement in Macau’s affairs.

Macau has operated as a special administrative region since its return to Chinese rule in 1999. It maintains its own legal and political systems and is the only place in China where casino gambling is legal.