Ousted Myanmar leader Suu Kyi to appear in court on May 24: Lawyer
A judge on Monday ordered Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi to appear in person in court for the first time on May 24, her lawyer said, after weeks of delays in her case.
The Nobel laureate has not been publicly seen since she was detained in a February 1 coup, when the military ousted her from power and re-installed its rule.
For the latest headlines, follow our Google News channel online or via the app.
She was subsequently hit with a series of charges, and her legal team has faced an uphill battle to get a private audience with their client.
Multiple court hearings in the capital Naypyidaw have seen Suu Kyi -- who attended via video conferencing from under house arrest -- express frustration at the pace of the proceedings.
During the latest hearing Monday, a judge ordered for her cases to be heard with her present in a special courtroom near her residence.
“She will appear in person in court on May 24,” lawyer Khin Maung Zaw told AFP.
However, he cautioned that the outstanding issue of not being able to meet privately with her still remains.
“The problem is not solved yet because the police did not answer on whether they can arrange our meeting,” he said, adding that private counsel is “the right of the defendant”.
The 75-year-old former leader has been charged six times since her arrest.
The charges include flouting coronavirus restrictions during last year’s election campaign and possessing unlicensed walkie-talkies.
The most serious charge alleges that she violated the country’s colonial-era Official Secrets Act -- a case that is pending in a court in commercial hub Yangon.
The junta has also accused her of corruption -- though no charges have been filed -- alleging that she received bribes of gold bars and cash.
The junta has continuously justified her arrest and the coup as a way to defend democracy, alleging electoral fraud by her National League for Democracy Party, which swept November’s elections in a landslide.
Coupmaker Min Aung Hlaing, the army’s commander-in-chief, is now leading the junta, and holds legislative, executive and judicial powers in Myanmar.
Mass protests have continued since the coup, with hundreds of thousands defying junta rule to demand a return to democracy and the release of Suu Kyi.
They have been met with live ammunition from security forces -- at least 780 civilians have been killed in brutal crackdowns, said a local monitoring group.
Read more:
Myanmar state media says five killed in blast were building a bomb
Myanmar poet dies after being detained, his family says
Myanmar military designates shadow government as a ‘terrorist’ group
-
Myanmar’s Aung San Suu Kyi in ‘safe place’ and in ‘good health’: Military spokesman
Myanmar’s deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi is at a “safer place” and “in good health”, according to military spokesman Zaw Min Tun.“It’s not like they ... World News -
Aung San Suu Kyi must share responsibility for the Rohingya genocide
The scrupulously conservative UN has finally issued a report calling for the military leadership in Myanmar, including the Commander-in-Chief Min Aung ... Middle East -
An earnest appeal from a Nobel laureate to Aung San Suu Kyi
The Myanmar military commander recently justified crimes committed by his soldiers and officers, such as murder, the burning of houses and villages ... Middle East -
How Aung San Suu Kyi used Kofi Annan to cover the military’s crimes
When Aung San Suu Kyi was first elected as the leader of Myanmar, she was fully aware the country had an image problem - particularly in regards to ... Middle East