Macao judge hands Au Kam-san 12.5 year prison term for security law breach
The former legislator was convicted of subverting state power after a closed-door trial focused on alleged false information spread during the 2024 leadership election.
By Alexei Brooks ·
A Macao court sentenced former pro-democracy legislator Au Kam-san to 12 years and six months in prison on Friday. The 69-year-old was found guilty of subverting state power under a national security trial that took place behind closed doors. This marks the first public prosecution under Macao’s security law, which has been in place since 2009.
The conviction centers on the court’s finding that Au disseminated false information between 2023 and 2024. The judges stated these actions were intended to disrupt the 2024 leadership election in the territory. In a statement detailing the ruling, the court accused Au of working with foreign organizations it labeled as hostile. It also claimed he promoted a political agenda and shared confidential information with overseas groups.
When determining the length of the sentence, the court noted that Au had no prior criminal record. It also acknowledged that he admitted to a substantial portion of the criminal facts. Despite these factors, the judges assessed his intent as high. They concluded that the unlawfulness of his actions and their potential consequences were very serious.
Virginia Cheang, Au’s wife, issued a public letter rejecting the legal process. She described the prosecution as a political trial and called the persecution groundless. Cheang questioned why the trial was private while the verdict was public. She argued the case was designed to humiliate her husband and damage his character.
Au spent two decades serving in the legislature, a body dominated by Beijing, before resigning in 2021. Before entering politics, he worked as a teacher. He also helped arrange commemorations in Macao for the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest and massacre in Beijing. He was arrested last year, leading to this latest sentence.
Human Rights Watch deputy Asia director Maya Wang criticized the prison term. She said the sentence sends a chilling message to people who peacefully criticize the authorities. Wang urged the European Union and Portugal to press for Au’s release. Both Macao’s government and China’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs office expressed support for the verdict.
The ruling came one day after a national security sentence in Hong Kong. Pro-democracy activist Joshua Wong received an additional 10-year prison term under Hong Kong’s national security law. Wong has been imprisoned since 2020. Macao, formerly a Portuguese colony, became a special administrative region of China in 1999.
