Myanmar's top court hears Suu Kyi's appeals to cut jail term

Myanmar's Supreme Court heard on Wednesday (July 5) the latest in a series of appeals by former leader Aung San Suu Kyi against a slew of convictions, a source familiar with the case said, as she seeks to reduce her 33 years of jail time.

The 78-year-old Nobel peace laureate has been convicted of offences ranging from incitement and election fraud to corruption since the military arrested her during a February 2021 coup against her elected government.

Representatives of Suu Kyi, who was not herself present, made arguments in court on Wednesday about her conviction for a breach of the official secrets act and electoral fraud, said a source who sought anonymity as the matter is sensitive.

The court is expected to take up to two months to deliver its ruling.

A junta spokesperson could not immediately be reached for confirmation.

The 2021 coup plunged Myanmar into political and social chaos, with the junta drawing global condemnation for its heavy-handed crackdown on opponents such as Suu Kyi.

The military says defendants are given due process by an independent judiciary, countering criticism from rights groups over the jailing of members of the pro-democracy movement in secret trials and the resumption of executions after a gap of decades.

The Supreme Court is expected to hear Suu Kyi's appeals against convictions for misuse of state funds and violations of trade and telecoms laws over the next two weeks.

ALSO READ: Myanmar Supreme Court to hear appeal of jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi