Former Myanmar government leader Aung San Suu Kyi appears in court for the first time on May 24. Her lawyer has communicated this to the AFP news agency.
Aung San Suu Kyi has not been seen in public since her arrest in the military coup on February 1. Since then, she has been under house arrest in the capital, Naypyidaw, and is only allowed to speak to her lawyers during short video sessions that her guards strictly monitor.
This morning a new hearing was held via video conference. It was announced there that Aung San Suu Kyi “would appear in person on May 24,” said one of her lawyers, Khin Maung Zaw.
His client appeared to be in good health, but he still hasn’t been able to meet her. “We are not sure that the police will allow us to speak to her privately before the hearing,” the lawyer complained.
The 75-year-old former head of government has been charged six times since her arrest. She is being prosecuted for non-compliance with the corona measures, the illegal import of walkie-talkies, incitement to public order and violation of a law on state secrets dating back to the colonial era.
She is also accused of receiving hundreds of thousands of dollars and 11 kilograms of gold in bribes, but she is not charged with corruption.
If found guilty, she could be banned from politics and sentenced to years in prison.
The demonstrations demanding her release and the restoration of democracy continue to be violently repressed by the security forces. At least 780 civilians have been killed in the last three months, according to figures from the Association for Aid to Political Prisoners (AAPP).
According to the association, more than 3,800 civilians are being held, many in secret locations. The AAPP also deplores violence against women, executions without trial and torture.