A court in military-ruled Myanmar on Wednesday sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to three years in prison for accepting bribes. The news agency Reuters reported the information with reference to sources related to the matter.
Suu Kyi, a 77-year-old Nobel laureate and opponent of military rule, faces at least 18 charges ranging from corruption to election violations. He was sentenced to almost 190 years for all the crimes.
Suu Kyi has called the charges against her baseless and denied any wrongdoing. He is being held in solitary confinement in the capital Naypyidaw and is being tried in closed court.
The latest charge brought against him is that he accepted a bribe from a businessman.
Suu Kyi was sentenced to three years in prison for the two charges concurrently.
Opponents of the military say the charges against Suu Kyi are aimed at preventing her from ever re-entering politics or trying to challenge the military’s hold on power since last year’s coup.
A spokesman for the junta did not respond to a call on Wednesday in this regard.
The junta insists Myanmar’s courts are independent and those arrested are receiving due process.
(October 12)