A court in military-ruled Myanmar has sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi to five years in prison on Wednesday after it found her guilty in the first of 11 corruption cases against her.
International news agency Reuters reported that Suu Kyi was charged with at least 18 offences which carried a combined maximum jail term of nearly 190 years.
The judge in the capital, Naypyitaw, issued the verdict moments after the court convened and provided no explanation. Suu Kyi, who has attended all of her hearings, said she was dissatisfied with the decision and would appeal the verdict.
The 76-year-old led Myanmar for five years during a brief period of faltering democracy before she was ousted in a military coup in February 2021. Prior to Suu Kyi’s tenure, Myanmar was under military rule for nearly six decades.
It was not immediately clear if she would be transferred to a prison to serve the sentence.
Since she was arrested, Suu Kyi has been detained in an undisclosed location. Junta chief Min Aung Hlaing had previously stated that she could remain in the location after earlier convictions in December and January.
