Macao pro-democracy former lawmaker Au Kam San was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison Friday in the Chinese city’s first national security case following a closed-door trial that raised concerns about fairness HONG KONG -- HONG KONG (AP) — Macao pro-democracy former lawmaker Au Kam San was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison Friday in the Chinese casino hub’s first national security case following a closed-door trial that raised concerns about fairness. Au’s arrest last year was the first publicly known prosecution under Macao’s national security law since it was enacted in 2009. A Macao court found him guilty of subverting state power, breaching confidentiality and establishing contact with organizations, groups or people outside Macao to commit acts endangering national security.
Critics said his case reflected Beijing’s emphasis on security and intolerance of dissent, even though Macao’s pro-democracy movement has never been as influential as that in neighboring Hong Kong. The 69-year-old assisted and cooperated with “hostile organizations” outside Macao for a long period of time in collecting and disseminating political views laden with ideas of subverting state power and false information, according to a court statement. They conspired to incite hatred among Macao residents against the central government, with an intent to overthrow and undermine the country's fundamental system, it said.
The degree of unlawfulness and the potential consequences of his crimes are both very serious," the statement said. In a public letter, Au’s wife, Virginia Cheang, wrote that she only hoped authorities would allow his family to exchange letters with Au and visit him regularly without conditions. It's a political trial and it's a groundless persecution to humiliate one's character,” Cheang said.
Au’s daughter in London, Au Hon I, previously told The that a lawyer found by the family was not allowed to see him in prison and that her family could not speak with him for almost a year. The court said a lawyer approved by Au was appointed to act for him during the legal proceedings, and that he had exercised his right to a defense. The court also approved for his family to visit him regularly.
Michael Polak, Au's international counsel, said Au, a Portuguese citizen, should never have been detained for his non-violent beliefs, urging Portugal and the European Union to demand that he be allowed to leave Macao. Macao is a former Portuguese colony that has operated, like Hong Kong, as a special administrative region since its return to Chinese rule in 1999. It has its own political and legal systems and Macao is the only Chinese city where casino gambling is legal.
It has resorts run by affiliates of the American gaming giants MGM Resorts, Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts. The court found that Au helped overseas organizations spread false and distorted information between 2023 and 2024 to induce foreign countries to take hostile actions against China and Macao, incite hatred against the central government, and undermine the smooth running of the 2024 city leader election. As a lawmaker in 2021, Au leaked to overseas groups confidential information obtained during closed-door committee meetings over the renewal of gaming licenses, it added.
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