YANGON: Myanmar’s junta on Monday awarded four years of imprisonment to ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi for incitement against the military and breaching COVID-19 rules, a government spokesman said.
The penalty is the first of a series of possible sentences that could see the Nobel laureate imprisoned for decades.
Suu Kyi, 76, has been detained since the generals ousted her government on February 1, ending the Southeast Asian country’s brief period of democracy.
She has since been hit with a series of charges, including violating the official secrets act, corruption and electoral fraud, and she faces decades in jail if convicted on all counts.
On Monday Suu Kyi was sentenced to two years for incitement against the military and another two years for breaching a natural disaster law relating to Covid, junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said.
Former president Win Myint was also jailed for four years on the same charges, he said, but added they would not yet be taken to prison.
“They will face other charges from the places where they are staying now”, he added, referring to their detention in the capital of Naypyidaw but without giving further details.
Journalists have been barred from proceedings in the special court in Naypyidaw and Suu Kyi’s lawyers were recently banned from speaking to the media.
In recent weeks, the trials of other ranking members of Suu Kyi’s National League for Democracy have wrapped up, with the junta doling out harsh sentences.
A former chief minister was sentenced to 75 years in jail this month, while a close Suu Kyi aide was jailed for 20.
