Macau ex-lawmaker sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in city’s first national security trial
Macau’s Court of First Instance found Au Kam San guilty of subversion, collaborating with foreign groups or individuals in activities threatening national security, and breaching secrecy laws.
Macau's former lawmaker Au Kam San has been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison, marking the city's first national security trial. The 69-year-old was arrested in July 2025 on charges of subversion and collusion with foreign forces to endanger national security. Au, a prominent Macau democrat who served as a lawmaker for nearly two decades, was found guilty by Macau's Court of First Instance.
The court denied two additional charges of subversion due to insufficient evidence. The cumulative sentence, falling between 11 years and 3 months and 19 years and 6 months, was ultimately reduced to 12 years and 6 months. This verdict comes shortly after Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong received a 10-year sentence for the same charge.
Pro-democracy advocates in the China-ruled territories have faced increasing scrutiny since the 2019 protests in Hong Kong, with media tycoon Jimmy Lai also receiving a 20-year sentence in February for similar allegations.
Written by urgent.news from Free Malaysia Today's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
