Macau has jailed former lawmaker and democracy campaigner Au Kam San for 12 years and six months, making him the first person convicted under the Chinese territory’s expanded national security laws. The verdict marks a sharp new turn in the former Portuguese colony’s narrowing political space, according to Arab News.
Au, 69, was found guilty of subversion and other offences in a closed-door trial that ended in September after only three days. The court said he helped outside organisations collect and spread material containing “subversive” political claims against China’s authority, and accused him of trying to stir hatred among Macau residents.
For decades, Au was one of Macau’s best-known democracy advocates. A former teacher, he entered politics after China’s 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown, believing that Macau should become a more open and democratic society. He helped organise annual vigils for the victims of Tiananmen, gatherings once tolerated in Macau and neighbouring Hong Kong, but increasingly restricted as Beijing tightened its grip.
His family says they were unable to see or speak to him for nearly a year after his detention in July 2025. His daughter, Cherry, said her father had spent more than 30 years serving the people of Macau. His wife, Virginia Cheang Mio San, called the proceedings a “political trial” and accused authorities of persecution.
Rights groups and foreign governments have also criticised the case. The European Union said Au’s arrest deepened concerns about the erosion of political pluralism in Macau. Human Rights Watch said the sentence sends a chilling message to peaceful critics in the territory.
Michael Polak, a London barrister who says he represents Au internationally, called the trial a “sham” and said it damaged Macau’s reputation. Portuguese lawyer Jorge Menezes warned that the secrecy surrounding the case could encourage further repression: “From now on, nobody needs to be arrested to be silenced,” he said.
Macau’s government welcomed the conviction, promising to prevent, stop and punish acts that endanger national security. Beijing rejected foreign criticism, saying outside powers should not use individual court cases to interfere in Macau’s or China’s internal affairs.
Au once described his democratic work as planting seeds in a bitter winter. On Friday, as he began a long prison sentence, those words took on a heavier meaning a reminder that, in Macau, the space for dissent is growing smaller.
