Myanmar’s ruling authorities have reduced the jail term of Aung San Suu Kyi, the detained former leader, her lawyer told Reuters on Friday as part of an amnesty enacted by President Min Aung Hlaing. The reduction applies to the 27-year sentence that had been imposed on Suu Kyi on a range of charges her supporters described as politically motivated.
Suu Kyi, 80, had faced multiple convictions including accusations of incitement, corruption, election fraud and breaching a state secrets law. Her legal team has said the sentence has been cut by one-sixth. It remains unclear whether she will be permitted to serve the remainder of her term under house arrest, the lawyer added. The former Nobel Peace Prize laureate, who described the charges against her as "absurd", has not been seen publicly since the end of extended trials and her current location has not been disclosed.
State media said President Min Aung Hlaing approved pardons for 4,335 prisoners, marking the third amnesty in the last six months. Myanmar customarily grants amnesties annually to mark national holidays, including Independence Day in January and New Year in April, according to the reporting.
Among those reported freed was Win Myint, an ally of Suu Kyi who served as president from 2018 until the 2021 coup. The state broadcaster MRTV said Win Myint was "granted a pardon and the reduction of his remaining sentences under specified conditions." A spokesperson for the military-backed government did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
The United Nations said U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres "takes note" of the amnesties while stressing the need for meaningful steps to secure the swift release of all those arbitrarily detained, including State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi, and to foster conditions for a credible political process.
"A viable political solution must be founded on an immediate cessation of violence and a genuine commitment to inclusive dialogue. This requires an environment that allows the people of Myanmar to freely and peacefully exercise their political rights," Guterres' spokesperson said in response to media queries.
The 2021 military takeover - led by Min Aung Hlaing and directed against the elected government of Win Myint and Suu Kyi - precipitated a nationwide conflict that continues to this day. Min Aung Hlaing was later elected president on April 3 after polls held in December and January in which the opposition was reportedly stifled and largely absent. The vote was criticized by some observers and Western governments as a sham intended to preserve military power behind a democratic facade.
The amnesty and sentence reduction alter the formal legal status of some high-profile detainees, but significant questions persist about the broader political and security environment inside Myanmar. Observers and international officials continue to call for transparent measures that would lead to broader releases and create space for inclusive political dialogue, while noting the ongoing violence and unresolved detention cases.