Myanmar court postpones Aung San Suu Kyi walkie-talkie verdict

A court in military-ruled Myanmar has again postponed giving its verdict in the trial of deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi for illegally importing and possessing walkie-talkies.

The Nobel Peace Prize laureate has been detained since the army staged a coup against her government on February 1, ending the country’s brief period of democracy. Nationwide protests against the move have been met with a bloody crackdown, with more than 1,300 people killed and some 11,000 arrested, according to a local monitoring group.

Aung San Suu Kyi, 76, was due to hear the verdict on charges she illegally imported and possessed walkie-talkies – the latest in a catalogue of judgements in a military court that could see her jailed for the rest of her life.

But the judge on Monday adjourned the verdict until January 10, a source with knowledge of the case told reporters, without giving details.

Earlier this month, Aung San Suu Kyi was jailed for four years for incitement against the military and breaching COVID-19 restrictions, in a ruling that was widely condemned by the international community.

Military ruler General Min Aung Hlaing later commuted the term to two years and said she would serve her sentence under house arrest in the capital, Naypyidaw.

Aung San Suu Kyi had faced three years in prison if found guilty on the walkie-talkie charges, which stem from the early hours of the coup when soldiers and police raided her house and allegedly found her in possession of the contraband equipment.

She has also charged with multiple counts of corruption – each of which is punishable by 15 years in jail – and violating the Official Secrets Act.

Aung San Suu Kyi spent years under house arrest for her opposition to military rule but was freed in 2010 and led her National League for Democracy to a landslide victory in a 2015 election.

Her party won again in November last year but the military said the vote was rigged and seized power weeks later. The election commission at the time dismissed the military’s complaint.