Macau Schedules First Secret National Security Trial
The defendant is 69-year-old former pro-democracy lawmaker Au Kam San, who faces charges of subversion.
According to Macau’s final appeals court, a judge ordered the in-camera proceedings to ensure that national security interests are not compromised. The decision followed a formal request from the city’s public prosecutions office and confirmation from the territory’s national security committee.
Expanding Legal Frameworks and Public Oversight
The upcoming proceedings mark a legal test for the Chinese casino hub. Authorities expanded the scope of Macau’s national security laws significantly in May 2023. A subsequent bill passed earlier this year explicitly granted judges the authority to hear national security cases behind closed doors.
Legal advocates and international rights organizations have continuously warned that these sweeping provisions could undermine standard administrative transparency. Critics argue the rules run the risk of applying broadly to any judicial case, eroding the traditional boundaries of public oversight in the Special Administrative Region.
Detention, Foreign Ties, and Maximum Sentences
Au, a primary school teacher who became one of Macau’s longest-serving pro-democracy legislators before stepping down in 2021, was arrested in July 2025. Authorities allege he maintained ties to foreign groups endangering China, designating him as a principal offender in subversion and related offenses. Under Macau’s security law, subversion convictions carry a maximum prison term of 25 years.
International Condemnation and State-Approved Counsel
Michael Polak, a London-based barrister representing Au, argued that the proceedings bear all the hallmarks of a show trial designed to shield state evidence from public and press scrutiny.
“He is a Portuguese national and has been kept incommunicado for one year without access to his family or an independent lawyer,” Polak noted, adding that the appointment of a state-approved lawyer fails to remedy the fundamental deficiencies of a compliant judiciary.
Family Pleas as the September Court Date Looms
Au’s daughter, Cherry, stated that her family has been barred from visiting or communicating with him since his arrest. In a public statement released in July, she emphasized the family’s core demand: “All we ask for is a fair trial, due process, and for his more than three decades of dedication to the people of Macau not to be erased or forgotten.”
As the September 16 trial date approaches, legal observers and human rights monitors are watching closely. The outcome will likely set a precedent, illustrating how Macau intends to apply its expanded national security framework and signaling whether closed-door trials will become standard practice for politically sensitive prosecutions in the territory.
