Burma: Aung San Suu Kyi sentenced to five additional years in prison

Former leader Aung San Suu Kyi (here in 2012) faces more than 150 years in prison if convicted of all the charges against her.

AP - Markus Schreiber

Text by: RFI Follow

2 mins

In Burma, the trial of Aung San Suu Kyi continues, the politician was sentenced this Wednesday morning April 27 to 5 additional years in prison for the first of a series of 11 corruption charges.

This sentence is in addition to the 6 years for two minor offenses of which she was found guilty.

The 76-year-old opponent denies all the charges brought against her in a trial that could last for years.

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With our correspondent in Yangon,

The court rejected the verdict twice before deciding to sentence Aung San Suu Kyi to an additional 5 years in prison for corruption.

The politician is therefore found guilty of having accepted 600,000 dollars and 11 kilos of gold in bribes while she was still in power, from the former Minister of Yangon region, U Phyo Min Thein.

Aung San Suu Kyi's lawyers could not even see her during the hearing, and since they no longer have the right to speak officially to the media, the information that reaches us is extremely filtered.

Up to 150 years in prison 

It is unclear why the court delayed its verdict for two days;

but there were delays each time the court had to rule on a new type of charge, as is the case here, for the first corruption charge.

The population, with no illusions about the outcome of the trial, only follows him from afar, but Aung San Suu Kyi still has considerable influence.

Last week, her lawyers leaked some rather vague words she allegedly said that called for the unity of the people – and the media spent days trying to interpret that short quote.

The former leader faces more than 150 years in prison if convicted of all the charges against her.

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• Burma

• Aung San Suu Kyi

• Justice