{"id":77688,"date":"2022-04-29T13:53:43","date_gmt":"2022-04-29T13:53:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=77688"},"modified":"2022-04-29T13:53:43","modified_gmt":"2022-04-29T13:53:43","slug":"myanmar-junta-arrests-lawyer-defending-suu-kyi-ally-source","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/en.bornomalanews.com\/?p=77688","title":{"rendered":"Myanmar junta arrests lawyer defending Suu Kyi ally: source"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"\"News Desk:<\/strong> A prominent Myanmar lawyer defending a close ally of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been arrested and charged with financing terrorism, a source close to the case said Friday.<\/p>\n

Suu Kyi's government was pushed out last year in a coup d'etat by Myanmar's powerful military, who alleged that she and her National League for Democracy party had committed electoral fraud in a 2020 poll.<\/p>\n

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The power seizure triggered widespread protests and dissent which the junta has sought to quell with a sweeping crackdown.<\/p>\n

The 76-year-old Nobel laureate has been under house arrest since the Feb 1, 2021 coup, while members of her government have either been jailed or are currently in hiding.<\/p>\n

Lawyer Yut Nu Aung was arrested in the second city of Mandalay on Wednesday and charged with financing terrorism, the source told AFP, requesting anonymity.<\/p>\n

She had been representing former Mandalay chief minister and NLD stalwart Zaw Myint Maung, who — like Suu Kyi — is currently fighting corruption charges in a junta court.<\/p>\n

Local media also reported the arrest and charge — which carries a minimum sentence of 10 years and a maximum penalty of life in jail.<\/p>\n

Yut Nu Aung will be held in court custody until May 12, the source added.<\/p>\n

NLD lawmakers dominate a shadow “National Unity Government” that is working to overturn the coup and claims to be directing so-called “People's Defence Force” militia across the country.<\/p>\n

The NUG and PDF groups have been declared “terrorists” by the junta, meaning it is illegal for anyone, including journalists, to contact them.<\/p>\n

Suu Kyi's legal team have also been muzzled from talking to media since October.<\/p>\n

On Wednesday a court in the capital Naypyidaw sentenced Suu Kyi to five years for taking a bribe of $600,000 cash and gold bars from a former Yangon chief minister.<\/p>\n

Suu Kyi had already been jailed for six years for incitement against the military, breaching Covid-19 rules and breaking a telecommunications law — although she will remain under house arrest while she fights other charges.<\/p>\n

According to a local monitoring group, the junta's crackdown has left more than 1,700 civilians dead and seen some 13,000 arrested<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

News Desk: A prominent Myanmar lawyer defending a close ally of ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been arrested and charged with financing terrorism, a source close to the case said Friday. Suu Kyi’s government was pushed out last year in a coup d’etat by Myanmar’s powerful military, who alleged that she and her […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":77689,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[2,14],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\t\n\t\n\n\n\t\n