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Aung San Suu Kyi in 2020
Photo: NYEIN CHAN NAING / EPA
A court controlled by the military junta in Myanmar has sentenced former Prime Minister Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in prison for corruption.
News outlets unanimously reported this, citing sources familiar with the process.
The 76-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner faces a total of eleven corruption charges.
This was the first verdict.
The politician faces up to 15 years in prison for each charge.
According to the Reuters news agency, Suu Kyi faces up to 190 years in prison along with other alleged offences.
The verdict, which was actually planned for Tuesday, had previously been postponed by one day without giving reasons.
Suu Kyi has denied allegations that he accepted gold and a $600,000 bribe from a politician.
The procedure takes place in camera.
Suu Kyi's lawyers are not allowed to speak to the media.
As Reuters reported, citing an anonymous source, Suu Kyi wants to take action against the verdict.
»The junta leaves nothing to chance«
"Aung San Suu Kyi's days as a free woman are practically numbered," Human Rights Watch Asia deputy director Phil Robertson told dpa news agency (read an interview with Robertson about the Suu Kyi trials here).
Given Suu Kyi's advanced age, the sentences could mean "life imprisonment."
With the conviction on false corruption charges, more years behind bars would now be accumulated, according to Robertson.
"Smashing democracy in Myanmar also means getting rid of Aung San Suu Kyi - and the junta is leaving nothing to chance."
The military staged a coup in February last year.
The generals justified the coup by alleging fraud in the November 2020 election, which Suu Kyi clearly won.
They presented no evidence.
Since then, the former Burma has descended into chaos and violence.
Human rights activists speak of a show trial against Suu Kyi.
A few months ago she had already been sentenced to a total of six years in prison in minor cases.
It is believed that the junta wants to permanently silence the politician, who has been under house arrest for many years.
However, it is unclear whether she actually has to serve a prison sentence or remains under house arrest.
Since the military coup, Suu Kyi has been held at an unknown location.
Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing had said after a previous verdict against her that she could stay there.
fek/dpa/Reuters
