A Myanmar military court has found ousted government leader Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of corruption and sentenced her to five years in prison. This was reported by Agence France-Presse and Reuters, based on sources familiar with the case. The 76-year-old Nobel laureate has been accused of taking bribes, among other things. For example, she would have received $600,000 (about €564,000) in cash and gold bars.
The former prime minister was arrested by the military on February 1, 2020, along with then-President Win Myint, after the military staged a coup. Since then, several charges have been brought against her, some of which have led to her conviction. Suu Kyi had previously been jailed for six years on charges of sedition against the military, violating Covid-19 rules and violating the telecommunications law.
100 years imprisonment
The politician is still awaiting other criminal charges, including violating the Official Secrets Act, corruption and electoral fraud. Suu Kyi could face a total of over 100 years in prison if convicted on all charges. She will remain under house arrest as long as she fights the convictions and charges.
Myanmar army staged a coup in 2020 over alleged election fraud, no evidence of this has been provided so far. Suu Kyi’s party was able to secure more seats in the 2020 elections. As a result, the military saw its power shrink further. This was Myanmar’s second free democratic election after 50 years of military dictatorship.
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