Au Kam San's lawyer files UN complaint over Macau detention

The international lawyer for former Macau legislator Au Kam San has filed a complaint with the United Nations Working Group on Arbitrary Detention regarding the detention of the Portuguese citizen.

Au Kam San was detained in July 2025 and held in preventive custody. He faces charges of “subversion against the political power of the State” and “establishing links” with external entities to commit acts against state security. His lawyer, Michael Polak, argues the detention is illegal and that the charges are being used in a vague and discriminatory manner to punish Au’s democratic convictions.

Au Kam San was a long-time organizer of annual vigils commemorating the victims of the June 4, 1989, Tiananmen Square crackdown, an event for which vigils are currently banned. The Court of First Instance in Macau announced that the trial for the pro-democracy activist will begin this Wednesday and will be held behind closed doors to avoid “prejudice to state security interests.”

Polak has raised concerns that international legal standards are not being respected, specifically regarding the right to a public trial, the opportunity to prepare a defense, and legal assistance. The court previously noted that Au is being represented by a court-appointed lawyer approved by the State Security Defense Commission, despite the family's attempts to appoint their own counsel.