BANGKOK: Ousted Myanmar chief Aung San Suu Kyi denied the allegations in an election fraud cost towards her when she testified for the primary time on the case Friday on the jail courtroom within the capital Naypyitaw, a authorized official stated.
The military seized energy from Suu Kyi’s elected authorities in February final yr, claiming large voting fraud within the 2020 common election, an allegation not corroborated by impartial election observers.
Suu Kyi’s Nationwide League for Democracy get together gained that election in a landslide, whereas the military-backed Union Solidarity and Improvement Occasion did poorly.
A conviction within the election fraud case might result in Suu Kyi’s get together being dissolved and unable to take part in a brand new election the army has promised will happen in 2023.
Suu Kyi has already been sentenced to 11 years in jail after being convicted on costs of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions, sedition and a corruption cost.
Suu Kyi’s supporters and impartial analysts say the fees are politically motivated and an try to discredit her and legitimize the army’s seizure of energy whereas retaining her from returning to politics.
Suu Kyi is being tried for a number of costs at a brand new facility constructed within the jail compound within the capital Naypyitaw, together with the electoral fraud cost. She was transferred from a secret detention location to a custom-built solitary facility at a jail in Naypyitaw final month.
The penalty for the offense is three years’ imprisonment. Former President Win Myint and former Union Authorities Workplace Minister Min Thu are co-defendants within the case.
The election fraud cost was filed in November by the state Election Fee, whose members have been appointed by the army authorities. The army dismissed the fee’s earlier members, who had declared there have been no main irregularities within the election.
The brand new fee accused the defendants, together with its personal former chairman, of being “concerned in electoral processes, election fraud and lawless actions.”
A authorized official aware of Friday’s proceedings stated Suu Kyi testified within the courtroom that she didn’t transcend the nation’s structure in holding the 2020 common election, and didn’t affect the Union Election Fee in that election, earlier than pleading not responsible. Additional particulars of what she stated weren’t obtainable due to a gag order on her legal professionals.
The authorized official, who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he’s not licensed to launch data, stated Suu Kyi seemed to be in good well being.
All of Suu Kyi’s trials within the jail courtroom are closed to the media and the general public. The prosecutors don’t touch upon them and the state-controlled media haven’t reported instantly on the proceedings. Suu Kyi’s legal professionals have been barred since final yr from offering particulars of the trials beneath a gag order.
The choose adjourned the election fraud trial for subsequent week, when co-defendant Min Thu will testify.
Win Myint, one other co-defendant within the case, gave a courtroom testimony final week denying the allegations towards him, the authorized official stated.
Suu Kyi can be being tried on a cost of violating the Official Secrets and techniques Actwhich carries a most sentence of 14 years, and 11 counts beneath the Anti-Corruption Regulation, with every depend punishable by as much as 15 years in jail and a superb.
The corruption circumstances are amongst numerous costs beneath which the army is prosecuting her. If discovered responsible of all the fees, she could possibly be sentenced to greater than 100 years in jail.
Her legal professionals try to overturn the 2 counts beneath the Anti-Corruption Act in an enchantment to the Supreme Courtroom on technical grounds, saying the case shouldn’t have been filed. On this corruption case, she is accused of receiving $550,000 in bribes from Maung Weik, a building magnate.
The military’s takeover in 2021 was met with widespread non-violent protests. After safety forces unleashed deadly pressure towards peaceable demonstrators, some opponents of army rule turned to armed resistance in lots of areas.
The military seized energy from Suu Kyi’s elected authorities in February final yr, claiming large voting fraud within the 2020 common election, an allegation not corroborated by impartial election observers.
Suu Kyi’s Nationwide League for Democracy get together gained that election in a landslide, whereas the military-backed Union Solidarity and Improvement Occasion did poorly.
A conviction within the election fraud case might result in Suu Kyi’s get together being dissolved and unable to take part in a brand new election the army has promised will happen in 2023.
Suu Kyi has already been sentenced to 11 years in jail after being convicted on costs of illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies, violating coronavirus restrictions, sedition and a corruption cost.
Suu Kyi’s supporters and impartial analysts say the fees are politically motivated and an try to discredit her and legitimize the army’s seizure of energy whereas retaining her from returning to politics.
Suu Kyi is being tried for a number of costs at a brand new facility constructed within the jail compound within the capital Naypyitaw, together with the electoral fraud cost. She was transferred from a secret detention location to a custom-built solitary facility at a jail in Naypyitaw final month.
The penalty for the offense is three years’ imprisonment. Former President Win Myint and former Union Authorities Workplace Minister Min Thu are co-defendants within the case.
The election fraud cost was filed in November by the state Election Fee, whose members have been appointed by the army authorities. The army dismissed the fee’s earlier members, who had declared there have been no main irregularities within the election.
The brand new fee accused the defendants, together with its personal former chairman, of being “concerned in electoral processes, election fraud and lawless actions.”
A authorized official aware of Friday’s proceedings stated Suu Kyi testified within the courtroom that she didn’t transcend the nation’s structure in holding the 2020 common election, and didn’t affect the Union Election Fee in that election, earlier than pleading not responsible. Additional particulars of what she stated weren’t obtainable due to a gag order on her legal professionals.
The authorized official, who spoke on situation of anonymity as a result of he’s not licensed to launch data, stated Suu Kyi seemed to be in good well being.
All of Suu Kyi’s trials within the jail courtroom are closed to the media and the general public. The prosecutors don’t touch upon them and the state-controlled media haven’t reported instantly on the proceedings. Suu Kyi’s legal professionals have been barred since final yr from offering particulars of the trials beneath a gag order.
The choose adjourned the election fraud trial for subsequent week, when co-defendant Min Thu will testify.
Win Myint, one other co-defendant within the case, gave a courtroom testimony final week denying the allegations towards him, the authorized official stated.
Suu Kyi can be being tried on a cost of violating the Official Secrets and techniques Actwhich carries a most sentence of 14 years, and 11 counts beneath the Anti-Corruption Regulation, with every depend punishable by as much as 15 years in jail and a superb.
The corruption circumstances are amongst numerous costs beneath which the army is prosecuting her. If discovered responsible of all the fees, she could possibly be sentenced to greater than 100 years in jail.
Her legal professionals try to overturn the 2 counts beneath the Anti-Corruption Act in an enchantment to the Supreme Courtroom on technical grounds, saying the case shouldn’t have been filed. On this corruption case, she is accused of receiving $550,000 in bribes from Maung Weik, a building magnate.
The military’s takeover in 2021 was met with widespread non-violent protests. After safety forces unleashed deadly pressure towards peaceable demonstrators, some opponents of army rule turned to armed resistance in lots of areas.
