Macao court sentences ex-lawmaker Au Kam San to 12½ years in first NSL case; SAR/Liaison Office back ruling, family and rights groups criticize. | China Day chinaday.news
Macao’s Court of First Instance on the morning of 6 November publicly sentenced former lawmaker Au Kam San (69) in the SAR’s first case under the Law on Safeguarding National Security since the handover: 11 years 3 months for one count of subverting state power, 3 years 9 months each for two counts of establishing links with organizations/groups/individuals outside Macao to endanger national security, and 9 months for breach of secrecy under the Criminal Code—combined into a single term of 12 years 6 months. The court press release said he faced seven charges; two further subversion counts were dismissed on the presumption of innocence where whether the conduct met the overthrow/undermine threshold remained doubtful. It said he largely accepted core facts at trial and admitted collusion with overseas organizations amounted to crime; the judgment described long-running help collecting and spreading false or distorted material to stir hatred of the Central People’s Government and disrupt the sixth Chief Executive election, plus leaking confidential gaming-concession renewal committee content to an overseas organization while a lawmaker in 2021. The Macao SAR government the same day said it respects and supports the ruling and will not waver on national security, judicial independence and the rule of law; the Central Government’s Liaison Office in Macao spokesman firmly backed the judiciary’s lawful adjudication. BBC Chinese, AP, SCMP, Lianhe Zaobao and CNA among others covered the sentence and quoted his wife Virginia Cheang’s open letter calling it groundless persecution and a political trial, with Human Rights Watch and others criticizing process and severity. The court release landed about 10:48; the 12:00 and 14:00 slots missed it, so the 16:00 patrol logs it.
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