Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's Deposed Leader Sentenced to 4 Years in Prison

Aung San Suu Kyi, Myanmar's deposed leader, has been sentenced to four years in prison for inciting and breaking coronavirus prohibitions.

The ruling is the first in a succession of proceedings brought against the leader of the National League for Democracy after the junta deposed her administration. The 76-year-old Nobel Laureate faces a total of 11 accusations, each of which carries a maximum sentence of 102 years in jail.

The military has found Aung San Suu Kyi guilty of inciting the public against the public based on comments she made on her party's Facebook pages after she was imprisoned by the military following a coup that prevented her from seeking re-election.

Anyone who distributes incorrect or inflammatory material with the potential to disturb public order faces the charge. Suu Kyi's lawyers argued that she and her co-defendant, former president Win Myint, could not be held accountable because they were already jailed. These tweets, according to the Associated Press, condemned the overthrow of the government and recommended that it be resisted in broad terms. 

Suu Kyi is also facing accusations in other cases, including four different corruption counts stemming from her alleged receipt of payments and abuse of authority in exchange for favourable real estate agreements. Another issue concerns her security personnel' suspected usage of unregistered walkie-talkies. 

"Some local and foreign media outlets, illegal media outlets, and the media are spreading false information, which might destabilise the country." The spokeswoman for the ruling military did not respond calls seeking comment.

Suu Kyi has been held in an undisclosed location since the February 1 coup, with no method of communicating with the outside world other than through her counsel, whom she only meets in court.

She is accused of, among other things, breaking coronavirus protocols, illegally importing and possessing two-way radios, creating public fear, and violating the Official Secrets Act.

Khin Maung Zaw sent a text message to the media on Tuesday summarising the evidence of Suu Kyi's co-defendant, former President Win Myint, who claimed in court that the military had ordered him to quit hours before the coup and threatened him with violence if he didn't. He indicated that he will take action. 

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