Beijing, Nov. 11 -- A former pro-democracy lawmaker in Macao has been sentenced to 12.5 years in prison on national security charges, triggering criticism from Human Rights Watch (HRW), which has described the prosecution as baseless and called for his immediate and unconditional release.

According to a report by Human Rights Watch, Macao's Court of First Instance handed down the sentence on November 6, 2026, convicting former lawmaker and democracy activist Au Kam San on five charges, including "subversion of state power", "establishing links with foreign forces to endanger national security" and "violation of secrecy".

The case is the first publicly known prosecution under Macao's national security law. HRW said the Macao government s...