Former pro-democracy lawmaker sentenced to 12 1/2 years in Macao’s first national security case

HONG KONG — Macao pro-democracy former lawmaker Au Kam San was sentenced to 12 1/2 years in prison Friday in the Chinese casino hub’s first national security case following a closed-door trial that raised concerns about fairness.

Au’s arrest last year was the first publicly known prosecution under Macao’s national security law since it was enacted in 2009. A Macao court found him guilty of subverting state power, breach of confidentiality and establishing contact with organizations, groups or people outside Macao to commit acts endangering national security.

Au, 69, was accused of having assisted and cooperated with “hostile organizations” outside Macao for a long period of time in collecting and disseminating political views laden with ideas of subverting state power and false information, according to a court statement. Through colluding with the organizations, he was trying to incite hatred among Macao residents against the central government, with an intent to overthrow and undermine the country’s fundamental system, it said.

Critics said his case reflected Beijing’s emphasis on security and intolerance of dissent, even though Macao’s pro-democracy movement has never been as influential as that in neighboring Hong Kong.

Macao is a former Portuguese colony that has operated, like Hong Kong…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business