Macao Ex-Lawmaker Sentenced to 12.5 Years in National Security Case

Au Kam San will spend the next 12.5 years in a Macao prison. The former lawmaker received the sentence on Friday in the first national security case tried in the casino hub since its security law took effect in 2009. The ruling marks a shift in how the special administrative region handles political dissent.

A Macao court found Au guilty of subverting state power, breaching confidentiality, and establishing contact with outside organizations to endanger national security. The court statement said he assisted hostile groups for a long period. They collected and spread political views intended to incite hatred against the central government. The goal was to undermine the country's fundamental system.

The trial took place behind closed doors in September. The judge ruled that an open trial could undermine national security interests. Critics argue the secrecy obscured key details. They did not name the specific overseas organizations involved or the exact information Au provided. The court appointed a lawyer for Au after his family's initial choice could not access him.

Virginia Cheang, Au's wife, called the process a political trial. In a public letter, she described the verdict as groundless persecution. She requested that authorities allow the family to exchange letters and visit Au regularly without conditions. The court approved that request.

Au Hon I, his daughter in London, said the ruling sets boundaries on citizen rights. She described the verdict as a scary chapter for Macao. She said her father is a peaceful family man. The thought of him spending more time in prison without doing anything criminal was unbearable to her.

Jorge Menezes, a Portuguese lawyer practicing in Macao, noted that the court statement said Au acknowledged some facts. He said this might lead people to believe Au confessed. Menezes said Au did not plead guilty. He argued the wording was misleading and violated the defendant's dignity. Menezes said the case sends a message to anyone who challenges authorities.

The court found Au colluded with overseas groups between 2023 and 2024. They spread false information to induce foreign countries to take hostile actions. The court said he also leaked confidential information from closed-door committee meetings on gaming licenses in 2021. That leak aimed to undermine the 2024 city leader election.

Au served in the legislature for 20 years before stepping down in 2021. He was a teacher before entering politics. He organized Macao's commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The Macao government supported the ruling. Beijing's Foreign Ministry said it opposes external forces using the case to interfere in Macao's affairs.