In short
- Au Kam San, 69, a former Macau lawmaker, was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison on 6 November 2026.
- Au was convicted on four of seven charges after a three-day trial that ended in September.
- Macau’s national security law took effect in 2009 and was revised in 2023 and again in 2026, when closed-door trials were permitted.
- Au was elected to Macau’s Legislative Assembly in September 2001 and served for 20 years.
- Hong Kong sentenced Joshua Wong, 30, to 10 years in jail a day before Au’s sentencing.
Macau sentenced former lawmaker Au Kam San, 69, to 12 years and six months in prison on Friday, in the city’s first national security case. A closed-door court convicted the pro-democracy campaigner of “subversion against the political power of the state”, among other offences. He was found guilty on four of the seven charges he faced.
What was Au Kam San convicted of?
Au stood trial for three days, with proceedings ending in September. The charges comprised three counts of subverting the state’s power, three counts of endangering national security by establishing contact with foreign organisations, and one count of breach of confidentiality. A judge ordered the hearings held behind closed doors “to ensure that no prejudice is caused to the interests of national security”, and Macau’s authorities never publicly disclosed the details of the case.
Prosecutors accused Au of assisting and collaborating with “external hostile organisations” by collecting, preparing and disseminating information “manifestly filled with political claims of a subversive nature against the state”, acts they said took place “over a long period of time”.
Who is Au Kam San?
Before entering politics, Au worked as a primary school teacher. He was elected to Macau’s Legislative Assembly in September 2001 and served for 20 years as one of only a handful of pro-democracy lawmakers in a legislature largely made up of pro-Beijing loyalists. He also co-organised annual vigils in Macau commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.
Au was arrested in July 2025. His family told the media he was not allowed to seek his own legal representation and was instead assigned a lawyer by the court.
What did his wife say about the verdict?
Virginia Cheang, Au’s wife, condemned the ruling, calling the case a “groundless persecution designed to humiliate Au”. In an open letter issued on Friday, she said she hoped the authorities would allow her and her family to write to and visit him in prison regularly. “I dare not hope for more as I believe that will only lead to greater disappointment,” she said.
What is Macau’s national security law?
Macau was handed back to China in 1999, ending more than 400 years of Portuguese administration. Its national security law came into effect in 2009, criminalising treason, secession and subversion against the Chinese Communist Party. The law was revised in 2023 to broaden its scope to non-violent acts of secession, and revised again this year to allow trials to be held behind closed doors.
How does this compare with Hong Kong?
Au’s sentencing came a day after Hong Kong sentenced pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong to 10 years in jail. Wong, 30, has been in custody for the past six years. Annual vigils marking the 1989 crackdown were previously tolerated in Macau and Hong Kong, but have effectively been banned in both cities since China imposed a sweeping national security law on Hong Kong in 2020.
Frequently asked questions
How long was Au Kam San sentenced to?
Au Kam San was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison. The 69-year-old former Macau lawmaker was convicted on four of seven charges after a three-day trial held behind closed doors.
Why was Au Kam San’s trial held behind closed doors?
A judge ordered the closed-door hearings to ensure “that no prejudice is caused to the interests of national security”. Macau’s national security law was revised in 2026 to allow trials to be held in private.
What is Macau’s national security law?
Macau’s national security law took effect in 2009 and criminalises treason, secession and subversion against the Chinese Communist Party. It was widened in 2023 to cover non-violent acts of secession and amended again in 2026 to permit closed-door trials.
Who is Au Kam San?
Au Kam San is a former primary school teacher who was elected to Macau’s Legislative Assembly in September 2001 and served for 20 years as one of the few pro-democracy lawmakers in the chamber. He co-organised annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.
With reporting from BBC News.
Stock image, not from the events described. Globe World — Jo%E3o%20Silas / Wikimedia Commons (CC0 1.0)