Myanmar’s Supreme Court has agreed to hear appeals by deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and former president Win Myint against their conviction on corruption and other charges, paving the way for a review of previous rulings.
Aung San Suu Kyi, 77, had appealed against seven charges related to the purchase of a helicopter, election fraud and violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, according to sources with direct knowledge of the matter, who requested not to be named.
A similar petition by Win Myint was also allowed, but the court is yet to set a date to start hearing the appeals, they said.
Aung San Suu Kyi faces a total 33 years in detention after being found guilty in an 18-month long series of trials. She has denied all the charges against her. If their appeals are upheld, her sentence would likely be reduced by 13 years and Win Myint’s by 10 years.
Maj Gen Zaw Min Tun, lead spokesman for the ruling State Administration Council, did not comment on the court’s decision but denied rumours that Aung San Suu Kyi had been moved from Nay Pyi Taw Prison to her residence in the capital.
The development comes days after the junta announced the release of more than 3,000 prisoners as part of a New Year amnesty. It included pardons for 98 foreigners, but it wasn’t clear if any of those to be freed were political prisoners.
Aung San Suu Kyi was overthrown in a 2021 coup after the military seized power alleging widespread fraud in a November 2020 election, in which her party won more than 80% of the available seats. Independent election monitors found no major irregularities.
The junta subsequently sacked the independent election commission and appointed a new one whose members later reported that they had found 11 million cases of voting irregularities.
Since the coup some 3,400 civilians have been killed and more than 21,400 others arrested in crackdowns on pro-democracy movements. Four political prisoners, including a lawmaker close to Aung San Suu Kyi, were executed last July. More than 100 others have been sentenced to death, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners.