Macau on Friday sentenced former lawmaker and pro-democracy campaigner Au Kam San, 69, to 12 years and six months in jail in the city’s first national security case, the BBC reported.
Au was convicted of “subversion against the political power of the state,” among other offences, after a closed-door trial. Prosecutors accused him of collaborating with “external hostile organisations” by collecting and spreading information with “subversive” political claims. He was arrested in July 2025 and found guilty on four of seven charges.
His wife, Virginia Cheang, called the case a “groundless persecution designed to humiliate Au.” His family said he was not allowed his own lawyer and was assigned one by the court. Macau’s security law, in force since 2009, was widened in 2023 and revised again this year to allow closed-door trials.
Au served 20 years in the legislature as one of a handful of pro-democracy lawmakers and co-organized Macau’s annual Tiananmen vigils. The sentence came a day after Hong Kong jailed Joshua Wong for 10 years, as we reported.
Sources: BBC News, BBC News (Joshua Wong)
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