Myanmar’s detained State Counselor Daw Aung San Suu Kyi on Friday denied electoral fraud charges at a closed trial inside Naypyitaw Prison, where she has been held since late last month.
Court sources told The Irrawaddy that she told the prison court that she denied charges filed under Article 130(a) of the Penal Code, accusing her of influencing the election commission ahead of her landslide victory in the November 2020 general election.
Detained President U Win Myint and union government office minister Min Thu are codefendants in the trial.
“She said she didn’t influence the commission and acted legally,” a source said.
U Win Myint has also denied the charges during a hearing last week and U Min Thu is due to testify next week.
The military took control on Feb. 1, 2021, after arresting Daw Aung San Suu Kyi, U Win Myint and other NLD leaders, claiming the party cheated in the election. The junta subsequently annulled the election results.
The junta has brought 11 charges against Daw Aung San Suu Kyi that could see her jailed for more than 150 years.
The 77-year-old has already been convicted of corruption, incitement against the military, breaching COVID-19 rules and breaking the Telecommunications Law, with a court sentencing her so far to 11 years.
On June 22, the junta transferred her to solitary confinement in prison from an undisclosed location where she was held for more than a year.
The move to the prison has prompted concerns about Daw Aung San Suu Kyi’s well-being, especially given her age.
