A court in military-ruled Myanmar on Wednesday sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to three years in prison, with fresh charges of accepting a bribe, a source with knowledge of the matter said.
The 77-year-old leader of the National League for Democracy, the frontwoman against military rule, is charged with 18 offenses such as graft and election violations, carrying combined maximum terms of nearly 190 years.
The NLD leader termed the accusations against her as ‘absurd’ and rejected any such activities by her. She is currently held in solitary confinement in the capital, Naypyitaw, and her trials have been conducted without the public view.
The fresh charges on her are regarding accepting bribes from a businessman, according to the source. As per the sentence, she has to complete three years in jail on two charges to be served simultaneously.
Anti-military sections opine that the military wants to prevent Suu Kyi from reentering politics and challenging its power, since the coup last year, and therefore has put charges against her. The junta maintains that Myanmar’s courts are impartial and that individuals who have been arrested are being treated fairly.
