Former Burmese political leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who was previously sentenced to 11 years in prison, has been sentenced to an additional six years in prison, a source familiar with the case told AFP.
The Nobel Peace Prize winner accused of multiple offenses by the ruling military junta since the February 2021 coup could face dozens of years in prison after a lengthy trial.
The court charged her with four major charges of corruption.
According to the same source, Aung San Suu Kyi, 77, appeared before the court in good health and did not comment after her verdict was announced.
A US State Department spokesman said the decision constituted “an affront to justice and the rule of law,” calling for the “immediate release of Aung San Suu Kyi and all those unjustly detained, including democratically elected representatives.”
Aung San Suu Kyi was arrested during the military coup on February 1, 2021 that ended the country’s democratic transition almost 10 years ago. At the end of June, she was placed in solitary confinement at Naypyidaw Prison.
And her trial, which began a year ago at the prison headquarters, continues behind closed doors, and her lawyer is prevented from communicating with the media and international organizations.
She accuses Aung San Suu Kyi of several offenses, including violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, electoral fraud, sedition and corruption.
Many observers condemn this politically motivated lawsuit aimed at removing Aung San Suu Kyi, the daughter of a pro-independence activist and the main winner of the 2015 and 2020 elections, from the political scene.
People close to her were sentenced to severe punishments.
The military council continues its bloody crackdown on its opponents, with over 2,000 civilians killed and over 15,000 arrested, according to a local NGO.
In the aftermath of the coup, courts whose legality is questioned by the international community handed down dozens of death sentences.
