Macau ex-lawmaker Au Kam-san jailed 12 and a half years
HK01 · 4 SOURCESabout 6 hours ago6 MIN
Summary
Macau’s Court of First Instance on November 6 sentenced former legislator Au Kam-san (區錦新) to 12 years and six months in prison in the first case brought under Macau’s Law on Safeguarding National Security. Au, 69, had faced seven charges in total, and the court ultimately convicted him on one count of subversion of state power, two counts of acts endangering national security through links with organizations, groups or individuals outside Macau, and one count of breach of secrecy. The case was heard behind closed doors from September, with the court saying the arrangement was to avoid harm to national security interests, before delivering a public judgment attended by dozens of citizens, media representatives and family members. Au had been in custody since his arrest in late July last year, and before sentencing the court had said the charges could carry a maximum combined sentence of 25 to 30 years if convicted.
Key Points
- The Court of First Instance announced on November 5 that judgment would be delivered at 10am on November 6, with limited public seating allocated on a first-come, registered basis
- Prosecutors charged Au with three counts of subversion, three counts involving links with external organizations to endanger national security, and one secrecy offence.
- The court convicted him on four counts and imposed a single sentence of 12 years and six months after deliberation by the trial panel.
- According to the judgment accounts, the case concerned alleged contacts with multiple overseas organizations and the provision or dissemination of false, distorted information from 2022 or 2023 to 2024.
- HK01 reported Au did not dispute most basic facts at trial, acknowledged criminal conduct in colluding and coordinating with multiple overseas organizations, and accepted the views of his court-appointed lawyer
Why It Matters
The ruling marks Macau’s first completed prosecution under its national security law and the first such case there to be tried in closed court, setting an important legal and political reference point for the city. For Hong Kong readers, the case will draw attention because it involves a long-serving opposition figure and shows how national security prosecutions in another special administrative region can reshape the space for political participation and public advocacy.