Resident receives suspended sentence for election-related defamation

A Macau resident has been sentenced to five months in prison, suspended for two years, after being convicted of two counts of defamation linked to online comments made during the 2025 Legislative Assembly election period.

The Criminal Court of the Court of First Instance also ordered the defendant to pay MOP10,000 in compensation to each of the two local associations targeted in the posts.

The trial concluded earlier this month, with the verdict delivered Tuesday. The court found that the resident had published comments on Facebook on March 11 last year that damaged the reputation of two associations linked to election candidate lists.

In the posts, the resident expressed support for certain candidates while criticizing the two associations, accusing them of opposing salary increases for casino dealers and supporting the government’s importation of non-resident workers. The comments included insulting descriptions of the organizations.

The defendant admitted making the posts, saying he acted out of anger at the time and did not gain any personal benefit from the publication.

The court ruled that the statements constituted defamation and had a serious impact on the election environment. However, the resident was acquitted of charges related to coercion and fraudulent practices involving election committees, as prosecutors failed to prove the allegations.

The court noted that the defendant had been diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder in 2021 and that his interpretation of events may have influenced his actions. However, it said this did not justify the defamatory remarks.

The court also warned the resident to exercise greater caution when making online comments and to avoid repeating similar behavior.