{
  "id": 7773559,
  "title": "Macau begins first closed-door national security trial for former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/macau-begins-first-closed-door-national-security-trial-for-former-pro",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-09-16T11:14:36.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hong Kong Free Press",
    "slug": "hong-kong-free-press",
    "url": "https://hongkongfp.com/2026/09/16/macau-begins-first-closed-door-national-security-trial-for-former-pro-democracy-lawmaker-au-kam-san/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Macau is set to commence its inaugural national security trial in private on Wednesday, involving a former pro-democracy lawmaker named Au Kam San. The Chinese territory broadened the application of national security laws in May 2023, and a recent bill permits judges to conduct national security cases in secret. Au Kam San, 69, was detained in July 2025 and is the first individual to be charged under the island's new laws. He faces accusations of \"subversion of state power,\" forming connections with foreign entities that may endanger China, and engaging in peaceful political activities. His legal team, led by London-based barrister Michael Polak, argues that holding the proceedings privately constitutes a sham process. The allegations primarily stem from Au's belief in democracy and his regular meetings with the European Union delegation in Hong Kong and Macau, an organization he co-organized annual vigils to remember the victims of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown. The European Union has condemned Au's arrest, emphasizing that it intensifies apprehensions about the \"erosion of political pluralism\" in the region. Pro-democracy advocate Joe Che expressed hope for more transparency, stating that a closed-door approach is undesirable as citizens are kept uninformed. Bell, another resident, highlighted the mounting pressure on the city, indicating that it is challenging to voice dissent. Criminalizing speech, he warned, leads to a harmful trajectory for the community.",
  "summary": "Macau was to start its first national security trial behind closed doors on Wednesday, in a case against a former pro-democracy lawmaker charged with subversion. The Chinese casino hub expanded the scope of national security laws in May 2023, and a new bill passed this year allows judges to hear national security cases behind closed […]",
  "key_points": [],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 2,
    "also_reported_by": [
      {
        "outlet": "Hong Kong Free Press",
        "title": "Macau begins first closed-door national security trial for former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San",
        "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/09/16/macau-begins-first-closed-door-national-security-trial-for-former-pro-7777654",
        "published": "2026-09-16T11:14:36.000Z"
      }
    ]
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}