Macau’s High-Profile Opposition Figure Receives 12.5‑Year Prison Term

A closed‑door court in Macau sentenced former opposition lawmaker Ou Kam San to 12½ years behind bars on 7 November, marking the first conviction under the region’s national security framework introduced in 2009.

The judgment accuses Ou of conspiring to undermine the state’s political order and of coordinating with overseas groups and individuals deemed a security threat. Prosecutors said he helped foreign anti‑government organisations compile and disseminate visual and textual material that challenged the authorities.

The 69‑year‑old, who possesses both Portuguese and Macau passports, was a prominent voice in the Legislative Assembly for about two decades before resigning in 2021. He also took part in organising commemorations of the 1989 Tiananmen Square crackdown.

Ou’s relatives claim that, since his 2025 detention – the first high‑profile case under the security law – he has been barred from seeing family members and from consulting a privately selected lawyer. The three‑day, non‑public trial was described by Justice Abroad’s director as a “showcase trial” that damages Macau’s standing abroad.

Human Rights Watch condemned the verdict, stating it creates a climate of fear for those expressing dissent peacefully. The organisation’s Sub‑Asia head linked the case to a broader strategy by the Chinese government to curb free expression and independent political activity across its special administrative regions.