Macau to hold closed-door trial in first national security case

Macau will hold its first national security trial behind closed doors next week, a court said on Friday, in a case against a former pro-democracy lawmaker charged with "subversion".

The Chinese casino hub expanded the scope of national security laws in May 2023, and a new bill passed this year allows judges to hear national security cases behind closed doors.

Lawyers and rights groups have warned that the rule could undermine the functioning of government departments and apply to "any judicial case".

Former Macau lawmaker Au Kam San in July 2025 became the first person to be arrested under the expanded law, with authorities alleging he had ties to foreign groups endangering China.

The judge decided to "hold the trial behind closed doors in order to ensure that national security interests are not compromised", a statement released by Macau's final appeals court said.

After Au's arrest, details about the case remained scarce until this July, when judicial authorities in Macau confirmed that he would stand trial as a "principal offender" of subversion and other crimes.

The court said the trial decision had been confirmed by Macau's national security committee, following a request from the city's public prosecutions office.

The proceedings are set to begin September 16.

Au, 69, is a primary school teacher who became one of Macau's longest-serving pro-democracy legislators before deciding not to seek re-election in 2021.

Authorities said that a court-appointed lawyer previously accepted by Au will continue to represent him.

Michael Polak, a London-based barrister representing Au, said Friday's announcement showed "authorities are too embarrassed to have their evidence scrutinized by the Macau people or the press".

"Au will be prevented from instructing an independent lawyer, which is a key provision of international law," Polak told AFP.

He added: "In effect, he will be prosecuted by the Macau authorities, judged by the Macau authorities through a compliant judiciary and 'defended' by the Macau authorities through the national security committee-selected lawyer, which really outlines how farcical the process is."

Au's daughter Cherry said the family is not allowed to visit or communicate with him.

"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," she said in a statement in July.

Under Macau's security law, subversion offences are subject to a prison term of up to 25 years.