Ousted Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi went on trial on Monday on election fraud charges, the latest in a series of criminal prosecutions by the military-run government in which she has already been sentenced to six years in prison.
Suu Kyi, 76, has faced a raft of charges since she was taken into custody. Her supporters and human rights groups say the cases against her are baseless and have been contrived to bar her return to politics and participation in a new election the army has promised by 2023. All of the trials are closed, and a gag order has been placed on the defence lawyers.
The Union Election Commission said the defendants, including the former chairman of the commission, were “involved in electoral processes, election fraud and lawless actions” related to the polls.