Myanmar: Military Judges Sentence Suu Kyi to 7 Years in Jail

On Friday, a court controlled by the Myanmar Military Junta sentenced Aung San Suu Kyi to seven years in prison after finding her guilty of five counts of corruption.

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Arrested after the 2021 coup, the 77-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate has so far been accused of some 20 crimes whose cumulative sentences will keep her 33 years in prison.

In the latest judicial process, she was tried for "abuse of authority" in a case of alleged corruption related to the rental of land and helicopters.

Military courts have also sentenced Suu Kyi for crimes such as violating COVID-19 laws, illegal importation of walkie talkies, violating the Official Secrets Law, and electoral fraud. 

Suu Kyi's lawyers, who have been banned by the Military Junta from speaking to the media, have pointed out that all the accusations against her client are false fabrications.

Last week, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) demanded the release of Suu Kyi and all political prisoners who protested against the coup.

This request, which is part of the first UNSC resolution issued on Myanmar since 1948, was accompanied by the demand for an immediate cessation of violence in that Asian country.

Since February 1, 2021, Myanmar has been plunged into a deep political, social and economic crisis. The Military junta has opened a spiral of violence with new civilian militias that have exacerbated the guerrilla war that the country has been experiencing for decades.

At least 2,682 people have been killed by the brutal repression carried out by the security forces, who have shot to kill peaceful and unarmed protesters. Over 13,100 remain in detention, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).