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Macau convicts former lawmaker Au Kam San in first national security trial

Macau convicts former lawmaker Au Kam San in first national security trial

Rule Changes

A closed-door trial and a 12-year-6-month sentence test the reach of Macau's expanded security law

Yesterday: Au convicted and sentenced

Overview

Updated 47 minutes ago

On November 6, 2026, a Macau court sentenced Au Kam San, a 69-year-old former legislator, to 12 years and 6 months in prison. It was the first conviction under the city's national security law since that law took effect in 2009.

The case rested on a law amended twice. A 2023 revision broadened subversion to cover non-violent acts. A 2026 change let judges hold trials behind closed doors, and Au's three-day trial was closed to the public.

Why it matters

A 12-year sentence for a former legislator shows how far Macau's security law reaches, and how little the public can see.

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Key Indicators

12y 6m
Combined prison sentence
The single penalty imposed after the court merged four convictions.
4 of 7
Charges convicted on
Au was acquitted of two subversion counts and one foreign-contact count was folded into another.
3
Days of trial
Hearings ran September 16 to 18, 2026, all behind closed doors.
69
Age at sentencing
Au was arrested in July 2025 at age 68.

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People Involved

Au Kam San
Au Kam San
Former member of the Legislative Assembly of Macau
Convicted and sentenced to 12 years and 6 months in prison

Organizations Involved

CF
Court of First Instance of Macau
Trial court
Issued the conviction and sentence

The lower court that heard Macau's first national security case.
PP
Public Prosecution Office of Macau
Prosecuting authority
Brought the charges

Indicted Au in March 2026 on seven national security and secrecy charges.
Legislative Assembly of Macau
Legislative Assembly of Macau
Legislature
Publicly backed the court's ruling

Macau's legislature, where Au served and where the security law was amended.
MS
Macau Special Administrative Region Government
Regional government
Endorsed the verdict

The city's government, which rejected outside criticism of the case.

Timeline

2009 November 2026

9 events Latest: Yesterday
Tap a bar to jump to that date

  1. Au convicted and sentenced

    Latest Legal

    The court imposes a combined 12 years and 6 months, the first national security conviction in Macau.

  2. Closed-door trial begins

    Legal

    Hearings run three days behind closed doors; the court appoints a defence lawyer.

  3. Judge upholds indictment

    Legal

    A preliminary hearing judge confirms the charges and commits Au to trial.

  4. Prosecutors indict Au

    Legal

    The Public Prosecution Office files three subversion counts, three foreign-contact counts and one secrecy count.

  5. Law amended again to allow closed-door trials

    Legal

    The change lets judges exclude the public from national security proceedings.

  6. Au arrested

    Legal

    He is taken into custody and later charged with seven national security and secrecy offences.

  7. Security law amended to broaden subversion

    Legal

    The revision extends the law to non-violent acts of secession and subversion.

  8. Au learns confidential gaming-concession information

    Legal

    As a legislator on a closed-door committee, he receives material later central to the secrecy charge.

  9. Macau's national security law takes effect

    Legal

    Law 2/2009 criminalises treason, secession and subversion against the Chinese Communist Party.

Scenarios

1

Macau appeal court upholds Au's conviction

Likely Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Au's international counsel and legal observers cited by TaiwanPlus and Reuters

Au's lawyers have criticised the lack of specific evidence and the closed proceedings. If they appeal, Macau's higher courts would review the conviction. A full reversal is unlikely given the government's public backing of the ruling; the more plausible path is a partial reduction of sentence.

2

Western governments sanction Macau officials over the verdict

Possible Resolves by Q1 2027

Discussed by: International rights groups and Au's overseas counsel

Au's case drew statements from foreign lawyers and governments critical of the closed trial. If a Western government treats the verdict as political prosecution, it could impose travel bans or asset freezes on Macau judicial or security officials. No such designation has been announced.

3

Macau files another national security prosecution

Possible Resolves by End of 2027

Discussed by: Macau Post Daily and regional security analysts

Macau's security law sat unused for prosecutions for more than 15 years. The Au case establishes a working template: foreign-contact charges, closed hearings, and long combined sentences. Prosecutors could apply it to other activists or former officials.

Historical Context

3 moments from history that rhyme with this story — and how they unfolded.

June 2020

Hong Kong National Security Law (2020)

Beijing imposed a national security law on Hong Kong, criminalising secession, subversion, terrorism and collusion with foreign forces. Authorities used it to charge dozens of pro-democracy activists and former legislators, including over an unofficial primary vote.

Then

Many defendants were denied bail and held for months or years before trial.

Now

The law reshaped Hong Kong's political opposition and set a model for security legislation in the other 'one country, two systems' city.

Why this matters now

Macau's case borrows the same charge categories, especially foreign contact and subversion, and applies them to a former legislator.

December 1999

Macau handover to China (1999)

Portugal returned Macau to Chinese administration after more than 400 years, under the 'one country, two systems' framework. The Basic Law promised a high degree of autonomy and preserved civil liberties.

Then

Macau kept its own legal system, currency and legislature.

Now

The 2009 security law and its 2023 and 2026 amendments narrowed the space between Macau's autonomy and Beijing's security priorities.

Why this matters now

The verdict shows how the autonomy promised in 1999 now operates inside a security framework written and revised with Beijing's priorities in mind.

2009

Macau's security law passes quietly (2009)

Macau enacted Law 2/2009 criminalising treason, secession and subversion. Unlike Hong Kong's later battles over Article 23, Macau's law passed with little public resistance.

Then

The law sat largely unused for prosecutions.

Now

It became the legal basis for the first national security conviction 17 years later.

Why this matters now

The gap between passage and first use shows how a dormant law can be activated once the political context changes.

Sources

(9)
+3
BBC News The Macau Post Daily France 24 TaiwanPlus Macao SAR Government Portal AP News Reuters via Internazionale The Macau Post Daily The Macau Post Daily