Macau to hold first security trial in secret
HKFP · 1 SOURCESabout 2 hours ago1 MIN
Summary
Macau’s courts will open the city’s first national security trial on September 16, and the hearing will be held behind closed doors. The defendant is former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San, who prosecutors say will be tried as a principal offender on a subversion charge and other alleged crimes.
Key Points
- Macau’s final appeals court said a judge ordered the trial to be closed to ensure national security interests would not be compromised.
- The court said the decision was confirmed by Macau’s national security committee after a request from the city’s public prosecutions office.
- Au Kam San, 69, was arrested in July 2025, becoming the first person detained under Macau’s expanded national security law.
- Authorities had alleged Au maintained ties with foreign groups that endangered China, while later court authorities said he would face subversion and other charges.
- Macau broadened its national security law in May 2023, and a new bill passed earlier in 2026 allows judges to hear such cases behind closed doors.
Why It Matters
For Hong Kong readers, the case offers a nearby example of how a broader national security framework can reshape court procedure as well as criminal liability. The closed-door format, limited public information and dispute over legal representation are likely to draw continued scrutiny over due process in politically sensitive cases.