Myanmar’s ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi was sentenced to three years in prison after a court found her guilty of electoral fraud on Friday. Suu Kyi was already serving a 17-year sentence in Myanmar for a number of offenses which included corruption and incitement, according to Reuters.
The trial took place behind closed doors in Naypyitaw and a gag order was imposed on Suu Kyi’s lawyers.
Aung San Suu Kyi came to power in 2020 after winning the elections with a huge margin but a military coup in 2021 brought an end to her regime. The military also accused her of electoral fraud in the 2020 polls.
As a result of this ruling, the National League for Democracy will come under further pressure as the ruling government has already hinted at a possible ban on them ahead of the elections next year.
According to AFP, a source said that co-accused Win Myint, the deposed president, was also given the same sentence as Suu Kyi. Both of them were accused of voter fraud and using intimidation in 2020.
While no official statement was released on the part of the Myanmar government, the Junta has always maintained that Suu Kyi was given all the opportunities to defend herself in court.
There are still a number of cases against Suu Kyi in Myanmar and the junta said that all of them will be looked into as soon as possible. Considering the charges brought against the former leader, the combined sentence for Suu Kyi can exceed 190 years.
