Mymanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to a four-year jail term by a special court in the country’s capital on Monday, a legal official said, citing her being found guilty of incitement and coronavirus restriction violation, AP News reported.
It marked the first sentencing in the trail of cases slammed against the Nobel laureate who faced prosecutions since Feb. 1 when the army took over and stopped her National League for Democracy party from beginning a five-year office term again.
Next week, another case against the 76-year-old ousted leader is set to be decided.
100-year imprisonment can be applied to her if she is found guilty in all the cases she is facing.
On Monday, there was no clarification from the court whether she will be locked up in jail for a couple of convictions or will be subjected to a house arrest, according to a legal official.
Suu Kyi has been on house arrest for 15 years since 1989 for her democracy push.
Included in the incitement case of the ousted leader were the statements published on social media site Facebook, in her party’s page. This came after she and other leaders of the party were arrested by the army.
The coronavirus restriction violation, meanwhile, cited her appearance in a campaign before the polls in November last year where her party gained victory.
The military was accused of a huge voting fraud after suffering several losses in political positions. Independent election observers, however, said no main irregularities were found.
A legal official who refuses to be identified has relayed the court’s ruling. The media and spectators are not allowed to witness the trials. Her lawyers were the only ones who can access the information on the case but they cannot release any details due to a gag order in October.
