Myanmar Court Sentences Former Leader Aung San Suu Kyi to Three Years of Hard Labor

Since last year's February military coup, deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi has remained in detention and later prison while facing a dozen criminal charges, ranging from election fraud and corruption to violating COVID-19 protocols.

A military court in Myanmar on Friday sentenced detained President Win Myint, ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi, and Union Government Office Minister Min Thu to three years in prison with hard labor for "election fraud".

The Naypyidaw Prison Court found them guilty of fraud in a November 2020 general election.

The election had delivered a landslide victory to Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) against a party formed by the powerful military.

The electoral fraud case is based on the alleged discovery of 2000 double votes, found after one year of investigation since the February 2021 coup.

The Junta has filed cases against more than 420 members of the previous Union Election Commission and nearly 2,500 members of local election commissions for alleged fraud in the election process.

The 77-year-old Suu Kyi now faces a combined 20 years in prison after sentences delivered by military courts in several other cases since January this year.

Last month, a military court slapped her with a six-year sentence following a conviction on corruption charges.

In December, a court found her guilty of inciting dissent and breaking COVID-19 protocols, for which she received a two-year sentence.

In January, she received a four-year prison term for possessing walkie-talkies illegally.

Myanmar courts will deliver their judgment in nine other cases filed by the Junta against the Nobel laureate.