Myanmar’s junta announced Monday night that detained State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and deposed President Win Myint will only have to serve half of the four-year sentences handed down to them earlier in the day.
The announcement also said that the two leaders are to serve the remaining two years of their sentences at their “current place of detention,” contrary to the standard practice of moving prisoners once they’ve been convicted.
The two have been confined at undisclosed locations under conditions similar to house arrest since they were both arrested on February 1.
The junta said the arrangements were made under sections 401(1) and 541(1) of the Code of Criminal Procedure.
The announcement came hours after a Naypyitaw court sentenced Suu Kyi, 76, and Win Myint, 70, to four years in prison each on charges of incitement and breaking Covid-19 regulations.
The sentences were the first verdicts handed down to the ousted civilian leaders after months of hearings.
They each received two years in prison for inciting public unrest under Section 505b of the Penal Code, a charge relating to two statements released by the National League for Democracy (NLD) shortly after the February 1 coup.
They received another two years under Section 25 of the Natural Disaster Management Law, based on the charge that they violated Covid-19 restrictions during last year’s election campaign.
Judge Maung Maung Lwin also handed Naypyitaw’s ousted mayor, Myo Aung, a two-year sentence for incitement in connection with the two NLD statements at Monday’s hearing.
No mention was made of Myo Aung or his sentence in the regime’s statement, and Myanmar Now was unable to find any additional information related to his case.
