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The Macau Court of First Instance convicted Au Kam San of subverting state power by establishing links with foreign groups or individuals to commit acts endangering national security along with breach of confidentiality according to a court statement cited by Reuters. The 69-year-old received a consolidated sentence of 12 years and six months after the court determined his intent was extremely high and the potential consequences exceptionally grave despite his status as a first-time offender who admitted significant portions of the acts. Local broadcaster TDM reported the applicable sentencing range ran from 11 years and three months to 19 years and six months while the court acquitted him on two additional subversion counts due to insufficient evidence. The verdict marks the first conviction under legislation enacted in 2009 and expanded in 2023.
Au served nearly two decades as a directly elected lawmaker in Macau’s Legislative Assembly between 2001 and 2021 after beginning his political career as a municipal councillor in 1993 according to background detailed by The Straits Times. The former primary school teacher became active in pro-democracy efforts following the 1989 Tiananmen Square events and co-organised annual vigils to commemorate its victims a practice once permitted in both Macau and Hong Kong. Public records show he focused on anti-corruption issues and blunt criticism during his five legislative terms as one of the small pro-democracy camp’s longest-serving members before stepping down in 2021.
Court documents outlined how Au provided assistance over a long period to external hostile organisations in collecting preparing and disseminating images and information containing subversive political claims against the state a finding reported across multiple outlets including The Independent and Deutsche Welle. The judgment stated he sought to incite hatred among Macau residents against the Central People’s Government with intent to overthrow the fundamental system enshrined in China’s constitution. Reuters noted the closed-door trial took place on September 16 and 18 after his arrest in July 2025 with proceedings concluding in three days.
Au’s family has alleged authorities barred him from contacting relatives or selecting his own lawyer since shortly after his detention prompting criticism from Human Rights Watch which described due process violations in the case. The organisation referenced its earlier calls for his unconditional release and highlighted the incommunicado detention that lasted nearly a year before trial. The Associated Press reported his daughter stated that books linked to the Tiananmen movement were seized from his home while a lawyer located by the family was denied access to him.
Macau’s national security framework has drawn comparisons to Hong Kong’s where authorities have pursued dozens of cases including one that resulted in sentences of four to 10 years for 45 activists involved in an unofficial primary election according to regional coverage in the Macau Daily Times. Unlike Hong Kong’s more prominent pro-democracy movement Macau’s civic space has remained smaller with fewer public expressions of dissent prior to the 2023 amendments that broadened the law’s scope. The European Union condemned Au’s initial arrest last year warning it signalled erosion of political pluralism in the former Portuguese colony that returned to Chinese administration in 1999.
Macau authorities welcomed the outcome and stated they would continue strictly enforcing the national security law to safeguard the long-term implementation of the one country two systems principle according to a government response carried by TRT World. The verdict arrives as the territory maintains its position as a major casino hub with operations tied to international gaming operators. Observers note the case represents a significant shift in how authorities handle dissent in the enclave where such prosecutions had not previously occurred under the existing legislation.
