A court in Macau on Friday sentenced former lawmaker Au Kam San to 12 years and six months in prison in the Chinese territory's first national security trial.
The 69-year-old pro-democracy campaigner was convicted of subversion against the political power of the State and other offences. He was detained in July 2025 in the first publicly known prosecution under Macau's national security law since 2009. Au served in the legislature for two decades and stepped down in 2021.
The court said Au "personally provided, over a long period of time, assistance and collaboration to external hostile organisations" in collecting and disseminating information with subversive political claims. He also sought to "incite hatred among Macau residents against the Central People's Government" with the intent to overthrow the fundamental system of the State.
Au's closed-door trial ended in September after three days. A judge ruled out an open trial to safeguard national security interests.
The former teacher co-organized Macau's annual vigils commemorating the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. Macau is a former Portuguese colony that reverted to China in 1999 and operates as a special administrative region.
Last year, the European Union denounced Au's arrest, saying it added to concerns about the "erosion of political pluralism" in Macau. The group Justice Abroad reported that Au's wife and three daughters have not been allowed to meet or speak with him since his detention.
The family received only one phone call from Au, lasting less than a minute, the day after his arrest. His daughter Cherry said: "My father dedicated more than 30 years of his life to serving the people of Macau." She added: "Almost a year has passed, and we still cannot communicate with him."
Cherry said: "We only ask for a fair trial, due process, and that more than three decades of his dedication to the people of Macau not be erased or forgotten." In 2024, Au told the AFP news agency: "I admit that in the fight for democracy we achieved nothing." He added: "I believe we need to sow seeds and give them the opportunity to grow."
