Macao court sentences former lawmaker to 12.5 years

Au Kam San will spend the next 12.5 years in prison, a sentence that marks the first time the Macao national security law has resulted in a custodial term for a former official. The 69-year-old teacher and former legislator was found guilty on Friday in a ruling that ends a legal process that began with his arrest last year.

The Macao court declared Au guilty of subverting state power and breaching confidentiality. The verdict confirms that the 2009 national security statute, which had been enacted for over a decade, is now being actively used to prosecute local figures for their political activities. The sentence follows a trial held entirely behind closed doors in September.

Au was elected to the legislature in 2001 and served for two decades before stepping down in 2021. During that time, he organized public commemorations for the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown and used social media to critique local government measures. His arrest last year became the first publicly known prosecution under the local security framework. He was charged with establishing contact with groups outside Macao to endanger national security.

A court statement detailed that Au assisted hostile organizations in collecting and disseminating political views between 2023 and 2024. The court found he leaked confidential information from closed-door committee meetings regarding the renewal of gaming licenses to overseas groups. Authorities said these actions were intended to incite hatred against the central government and undermine the 2024 city leader election.

Virginia Cheang, Au's wife, released a public letter criticizing the process. She described the shift from a secret trial to a public verdict as a political trial designed to humiliate her husband's character. She requested that authorities allow the family to exchange letters and visit him regularly without additional conditions. The court stated it had approved the family's request for regular visits.

Au Hon I, his daughter living in London, told the Associated Press that the ruling sets boundaries for what citizens can do. She described the decision as a scary chapter for the territory and said the thought of her father spending more time in prison for a peaceful life was unbearable. A family lawyer noted that an attorney arranged by the family was initially unable to see Au during the proceedings.

Jorge Menezes, a Portuguese lawyer practicing in Macao, said the secret nature of the trial left specific details about the organizations involved unrevealed. He argued that the court statement's note that Au admitted to a considerable portion of the facts was misleading. Menezes stated that Au did not plead guilty and that the phrasing violated his dignity. He suggested the case serves as a warning to anyone who challenges local authorities.

Michael Polak, Au's international counsel, urged Portugal and the European Union to demand that the Portuguese citizen be allowed to leave Macao. He called the 12.5-year term a sentence for life given Au's age. Polak warned that if Au remains in Macao, he could die in prison. The Macao government supported the ruling and vowed to continue strictly enforcing the security law.

The Beijing office for Hong Kong and Macao affairs said the decision demonstrated the territory's resolve to safeguard national security. The Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that it opposes external forces using individual cases to interfere in local affairs. Macao, a former Portuguese colony returned to Chinese rule in 1999, operates as a special administrative region where casino gambling is the primary legal industry.