A court in Myanmar (formerly Burma) sentenced former leader Aung San Suu Kyi to three years in prison for violating the state secrets law, the Associated Press (AP) news agency reported.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s former economic adviser, Sean Turnell, received the same sentence, as did three other members of the former civilian leader and Nobel Peace Prize winner’s executive.
Turnell was charged, along with Suu Kyi and the three former rulers, on the basis of seized documents, which were in the Australian’s possession.
State television, controlled by the military responsible for the coup of February 1 last year, indicated that Turnell had access to “secret financial information of the State” and had tried to flee the country.
The state secrets law, which dates back to the colonial era, criminalizes the possession, collection, recording, publication or exchange of state information that is “directly or indirectly useful to an enemy.” In case of infraction, the penalty can reach 14 years in prison.
All sessions of the trial, held in a specially designed courtroom in the Burmese capital’s main prison, were closed to the media and the public.
Defense attorneys were prohibited from disclosing the details of the case.
The same restrictions applied to all of Suu Kyi’s trials.
This case is one of several Suu Kyi is facing, in lawsuits seen as an effort to discredit her and prevent her return to politics.
The former president had already been sentenced to 20 years in prison for illegally importing and possessing communication equipment (‘walkie-talkies’), violating pandemic restrictions, sedition, electoral fraud and corruption.
Suu Kyi still faces seven cases under the anti-corruption law, with each charge carrying a maximum of 15 years in prison.
Source: TSF
