Ousted leader could be jailed for three years if found guilty of incitement against military, and faces a range of other charges.
Expelled Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi is expected to hear a verdict in her alleged conspiracy case on Tuesday, the first of his many court cases that could lead to decades of imprisonment.
The Nobel laureate has been arrested since the generals ousted his government on the morning of February 1, ending a brief overhaul of the Southeast Asian country.
More than 1,200 people have been killed and more than 10,000 XNUMX arrested in the crackdown on opposition groups, according to a local watchdog.
Aung San Suu Kyi faces up to three years in prison if convicted of inciting the military – although analysts say she is unlikely to be sent to jail on Tuesday.
Instead, the court may delay its decision or commute any imprisonment to keep the prominent leader invisible as the junta works to compile its own law.
Journalists were barred from proceeding to a special court in the military-occupied capital, Naypyidaw, and Aung San Suu Kyi’s lawyers were recently barred from speaking to the media.
The court will remain closed to journalists for a decision, Junta spokesman Zaw Min Tun said recently.
Days after the coup, Aung San Suu Kyi was charged with felony criminal mischief for possessing illegal walkie-talkies and violating coronavirus restrictions during the 2020 National League for Democracy (NLD) elections.
Since then the junta has added a number of other charges, including violations of the secret law, corruption and electoral fraud.
Now Aung San Suu Kyi has been in court for several days, with her legal team claiming that last month the busy schedule was affecting the 76-year-old man’s life.
Aung San Suu Kyi’s long imprisonment under the former king was spent in his family’s home during the colonial period in Yangon, where he would appear before thousands gathered on the other side of the fence of his garden.
Min Aung Hlaing’s regime detained him in an undisclosed location in the capital, and his contact with the outside world was limited to brief pre-trial meetings with his lawyers.
In his first appearance in court, he used himself to send a message of contempt, swearing that the NLD would tolerate and call on the faithful party to remain united.
But in October his team was beaten with a gag order after presenting clear evidence from ousted president Win Myint describing how he had refused military service to resign during a coup d’état.
In recent weeks the trial of some members of Aung San Suu Kyi’s NLD-level NLD has been completed, with officials handing down harsh sentences.
The former prime minister was sentenced this month to 75 years in prison, while his closest aide, Aung San Suu Kyi, was sentenced to 20 years in prison.