Macau Jails Pro-Democracy Campaigner Au Kam San for 12½ Years in First National Security Case

Macau has jailed its best-known pro-democracy campaigner for 12½ years, in the first case ever brought under the city’s national security law. The sentence, handed down on Friday, 6 November 2026, marks a sharp turn for a city that has long been seen as quieter and more restrained than neighbouring Hong Kong in its handling of dissent.

Au Kam San, 69, a former lawmaker who served in Macau’s legislature for 20 years, was found guilty of subversion of state power and other offences after a trial held entirely behind closed doors. The verdict closes a case that human rights groups say was never a fair trial at all — and it sends a clear message to anyone in Macau who still speaks out against Beijing.

What Happened

A court in Macau sentenced Au Kam San to 12 years and six months in prison on Friday, 6 November 2026. The sentence was delivered by the Court of First Instance after a trial that the public, the press and even Au’s own family were not allowed to see.

Au was arrested in July 2025 on charges of colluding with foreign forces to endanger national security. His trial took place on 16 and 18 September 2026, behind closed doors. The judge had ordered the secret proceedings at the request of the Public Prosecutions Office, with confirmation from the city’s national security committee, which is led by Macau Chief Executive Sam Hou Fai.

The court said the closed trial was needed to make sure that national security interests would not be harmed. But critics say the secrecy made it impossible to know what evidence was actually presented — or whether Au received a fair hearing at all.

Au’s arrest was the first publicly known prosecution under Macau’s national security law since the law was enacted in 2009. For 16 years, the law sat unused. Its first application has now produced a long prison sentence, a secret trial and almost no public detail about the evidence.

Who Is Au Kam San?

Au Kam San is a teacher-turned-politician who became one of Macau’s most recognisable pro-democracy voices. He served in the city’s legislature, which is dominated by pro-Beijing loyalists, for 20 years — from 2001 until he stepped down in 2021. For most of that time, he was one of only a handful of openly pro-democracy lawmakers in the chamber.

He first entered politics because he saw everyday social problems that he felt needed someone to speak out about. The pro-democracy movement in Tiananmen Square in 1989 brought him together with like-minded friends, and he later became one of the organisers of Macau’s annual commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown in Beijing.

Even after leaving the legislature, Au kept speaking out. Before his arrest, he was a rare voice in Macau who regularly criticised government measures and the city’s political development on Facebook and in interviews — although many people considered his criticisms to be mild.

That mildness is part of what makes the case so striking. Au was not a street protest leader or a firebrand. He was, in the words of the Associated Press, “a mild pro-democracy activist” — a former teacher who spent two decades working inside the system.

The Charges Against Him

Au was charged with seven offences. The court found him guilty on four of them and acquitted him on two additional counts of subversion, saying there was not enough evidence for those charges.

The court found Au guilty of:

• Subversion of state power — the most serious of the charges.
• Establishing contact with organisations, groups or people outside Macau to commit acts endangering national security.
• Breach of confidentiality — leaking information obtained during closed-door committee meetings.

According to a court statement, Au assisted and cooperated with “hostile organisations” outside Macau for a long period, collecting and spreading political views “laden with ideas of subverting state power and false information.”

The court found that between 2023 and 2024, Au helped overseas organisations spread false and distorted information to push foreign countries to take hostile actions against China and Macau, to stir up hatred against the central government, and to undermine the smooth running of Macau’s 2024 leadership election.

It also found that as a lawmaker in 2021, Au leaked confidential information obtained during closed-door committee meetings about the renewal of gaming licences to overseas groups. Gaming is Macau’s economic lifeblood — it is the only Chinese city where casino gambling is legal, and its resorts are run by affiliates of American gaming giants MGM Resorts, Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts.

What the Court Said About the Sentence

The possible sentence for Au’s combined offences ranged from 11 years and three months to 19 years and six months in prison. After deliberation, the court imposed a single, consolidated sentence of 12 years and six months.

The court acknowledged that Au was a first-time offender and that he had admitted a considerable portion of the facts against him. But it said that was not enough to earn him a lighter sentence.

“Although the defendant is a first-time offender and admitted to a considerable portion of the criminal facts, he demonstrated a high degree of intent. The degree of unlawfulness and the potential consequences of his crimes are both very serious,” the court said in its statement.

Reuters, citing local broadcaster TDM, reported the court’s reasoning in similar terms: “Although the defendant is a first-time offender and has admitted to a significant portion of the criminal acts, the degree of intent was extremely high, and both the unlawfulness of the conduct and the potential consequences are exceptionally grave.”

His Family Calls It a Political Trial

Au’s family has rejected the verdict. His wife, Virginia Cheang, wrote in a public letter that she only hoped the authorities would allow his family to exchange letters with Au and visit him regularly, without conditions.

“From a closed-door trial to a public verdict, what kind of operation is this? It’s a political trial and it’s a groundless persecution to humiliate one’s character,” Cheang wrote.

His daughter, Au Hon I, who lives in London, previously told the Associated Press that a lawyer found by the family was not allowed to see him in prison, and that the family could not speak with him for almost a year.

The court said a lawyer approved by Au had been appointed to act for him during the legal proceedings, that he had exercised his right to a defence, and that it had approved regular family visits.

Au’s international counsel, Michael Polak, said Au — who is a Portuguese citizen — should never have been detained for his non-violent beliefs. He urged Portugal and the European Union to demand that Au be allowed to leave Macau.

“What has taken place in relation to the manufactured allegations against Mr Au cannot be described as a trial or conviction in any meaningful sense of those words and brings Macao in line with the most repressive states around the world,” Polak said.

Why This Case Matters

The law was unused for 16 years

Macau’s national security law came into force in 2009. It criminalised treason, secession and subversion. For years, it was never used against anyone in a publicly known case.

That changed in stages. The law was widened in 2023 to cover non-violent acts of secession, and it was revised again this year to allow trials to be held behind closed doors — the change that made Au’s secret proceedings possible.

The fact that the law’s first use produced a 12½-year sentence for a 69-year-old former lawmaker is what has alarmed observers. As the BBC noted, the sentence is one of the longest handed to a political figure in Macau in recent memory.

Macau is not Hong Kong — but the gap is closing

Macau is a former Portuguese colony that returned to Chinese rule in 1999, two years after neighbouring Hong Kong was handed back by Britain. Like Hong Kong, it operates as a special administrative region with its own political and legal systems.

But Macau’s pro-democracy movement has never been as large or as influential as Hong Kong’s, and the city has long been seen as more compliant with Beijing. Critics say Au’s case shows that Beijing’s emphasis on security and its intolerance of dissent now apply just as firmly in Macau — even to a mild critic with no history of street protest.

Human Rights Watch said the proceedings were “marred by violations of due process” and that the sentence “sends a chilling message to all peaceful critics in the territory.” Its deputy Asia director, Maya Wang, called the sentence “harsh” and urged Portugal, the European Union and other concerned governments to press for Au’s release.

The Hong Kong Connection

Au’s sentencing came just one day after Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong was sentenced to 10 years in jail on a charge of collusion with foreign entities under Hong Kong’s national security law. Wong, 30, became the global face of Hong Kong’s pro-democracy movement as a teenager and has been in custody for the last six years. His case was covered in detail in our earlier report on Joshua Wong’s 10-year sentence in Hong Kong.

The two sentences, one day apart, underline how the crackdown on pro-democracy voices has intensified across both of China’s special administrative regions since Hong Kong’s 2019 protest movement. In February this year, Hong Kong media tycoon Jimmy Lai — the city’s most vocal China critic — was jailed for 20 years for collusion with foreign forces and sedition, after a landmark trial that drew international criticism.

What the Authorities Said

The Macau government supported the ruling, urging all sectors of society to respect it and to support the judiciary in exercising its powers. It said the government will continue to strictly enforce the security law.

Beijing’s Hong Kong and Macao Affairs Office said the ruling demonstrated Macau’s firm resolve in safeguarding national security. It said the ruling also reminded people to remain alert to risks even in times of stability.

What Happens Next

Au, who is 69, now faces more than 12 years behind bars. His family hopes to be allowed regular visits and to exchange letters with him. His international lawyer is pressing Portugal — Au holds Portuguese citizenship — and the European Union to demand his release or to allow him to leave Macau.

For Macau itself, the case sets a precedent. A law that went unused for 16 years has now been used to jail a former lawmaker for more than a decade after a secret trial. Other critics of the government in Macau will be watching closely to see whether Au’s case is a one-off — or the start of a new pattern. The wider region is watching too: democratic space has been shrinking across Asia, from Hong Kong to Myanmar, where the military-backed party is tightening its grip ahead of by-elections.

For now, the man who spent 20 years speaking up inside Macau’s legislature — and decades organising vigils for the victims of Tiananmen Square — will spend his seventies in prison.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is Au Kam San?

Au Kam San, 69, is a former Macau lawmaker and pro-democracy campaigner. A teacher by profession, he served in Macau’s legislature from 2001 to 2021 and was one of the few openly pro-democracy voices in the chamber. He also organised Macau’s annual commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

What was Au Kam San sentenced for?

He was found guilty of subversion of state power, establishing contact with foreign organisations to commit acts endangering national security, and breaching confidentiality. He was acquitted on two further subversion counts because of insufficient evidence.

How long is Au Kam San’s prison sentence?

He was sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison. The possible range for his combined offences was between 11 years and three months and 19 years and six months.

Why was Au Kam San’s trial held behind closed doors?

The judge ordered a closed-door trial at the request of the Public Prosecutions Office, with confirmation from Macau’s national security committee, saying it was needed to ensure national security interests would not be harmed. The law was revised in 2026 to allow such secret trials.

Is this the first national security case in Macau?

Yes. Au’s arrest in July 2025 was the first publicly known prosecution under Macau’s national security law since it was enacted in 2009. It is also the city’s first national security trial.

What is Macau’s national security law?

Macau’s national security law came into force in 2009 and criminalises treason, secession and subversion. It was widened in 2023 to cover non-violent acts of secession and revised again in 2026 to allow closed-door trials. Macau returned to Chinese rule in 1999 after more than 400 years of Portuguese administration.

Conclusion

The jailing of Au Kam San is a landmark moment for Macau. A law that lay dormant for 16 years has been used to lock up a 69-year-old former lawmaker for 12½ years after a trial nobody was allowed to see. His family calls it a political trial. Human Rights Watch calls it a chilling message to every peaceful critic in the territory. Beijing calls it a firm defence of national security.

What is certain is that Macau — long seen as the quieter of China’s two special administrative regions — has now joined Hong Kong in using national security laws to silence its most prominent democratic voices. Au Kam San spent 20 years in the legislature and decades keeping the memory of Tiananmen Square alive. He will now spend his seventies in a Macau prison, and the city he tried to change will be a quieter place without him.

Sources

• Associated Press — “Former pro-democracy lawmaker sentenced to 12 1/2 years in Macao’s 1st national security case” (6 November 2026): https://www.kcau9.com/news/international/ap-former-pro-democracy-lawmaker-sentenced-to-12-1-2-years-in-macaos-1st-national-security-case/
• Reuters — “Macau ex-lawmaker sentenced to 12.5 years in prison in city’s first national security trial” (6 November 2026): https://985theriver.com/2026/11/06/macau-ex-lawmaker-sentenced-to-12-5-years-in-prison-in-citys-first-national-security-trial/
• BBC News (via World Right Now) — “Macau jails pro-democracy campaigner in city’s first national security case” (6 November 2026): https://worldrightnowlive.com/story/macau-jails-pro-democracy-campaigner-in-city-s-first-national-security

This article is for general information and education only. It is not legal or financial advice.