Myanmar’s military regime has released the head of the electoral body appointed by the ousted National League for Democracy (NLD) government after 20 months in custody.
Prison sources told The Irrawaddy that the Union Election Commission (UEC) chairman U Hla Thein and a commission secretary U Myint Naing were released from Yamethin Prison in Mandalay Region on Wednesday.
They were detained in February last year when the military staged its coup, accusing the NLD of vote rigging in the 2020 general election that saw another NLD landslide victory.
A regime court in July this year sentenced them to three years’ imprisonment for electoral fraud.
Domestic and international election observers insisted that the 2020 election was free and fair, despite the regime’s claims. Millions took to the streets to protest against the coup.
The junta filed the same charges against NLD President U Win Myint, State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi and three other senior figures, sentencing them to three years each.
