Macau concludes first closed-door nat. security trial against ex-lawmaker and Tiananmen vigil co-organiser Au Kam San

Macau has concluded its inaugural national security trial in private, according to a court announcement on Friday, following the initiation of proceedings against a former pro-democracy lawmaker. The case centers on Au Kam San, a former Macau lawmaker who was detained in July 2025 on charges encompassing subversion, collaboration with foreign entities deemed detrimental to China, and endangering national security.

The verdict will be announced at a later date, as confirmed by Macau's Court of First Instance. This marked the first individual to be arrested under the island's newly expanded national security laws and the first to undergo a closed-door trial. Michael Polak, a London-based attorney representing Au, denounced the secretive nature of the proceedings, expressing concerns over the ability to evaluate evidence and maintain a fair process within such a brief timeframe.

Similarly, Jorge Menezes, a Portuguese lawyer practicing in Macau, lamented that the closed-door trial serves to "intimidate everyone into submission to the Chinese Communist Party," emphasizing that justice, rule of law, and transparency are compromised in such closed proceedings.