Kamal Ghorui
Myanmar cuts Aung San Suu Kyi’s 27-year sentence by one-sixth, but Nobel laureate remains in prison
Myanmar has reduced the sentence of imprisoned former leader Aung San Suu Kyi by one-sixth, her lawyer told Reuters on Friday, but the 80-year-old Nobel Peace Prize laureate remains in detention at an undisclosed location.Suu Kyi was serving a 27-year sentence for a litany of offences her allies say were politically motivated ranging from incitement and corruption to election fraud and violating a state secrets law. The sentence reduction means her term has been cut by approximately 4½ years.However, she was not among the 4,335 prisoners freed in a New Year amnesty announced earlier Friday by President Min Aung Hlaing, according to state-run MRTV. The amnesty also included the commutation of death sentences to life imprisonment and life sentences to 40 years.The former leader has not been seen in public since the end of her marathon trials. Her whereabouts remain unknown. In interviews last year with Reuters, her son, Kim Aris, said he had received only limited updates about her condition but knew that her health was declining.
Third amnesty in six months
The New Year amnesty marks the third such release in the past six months. In November 2025, the former junta announced it would pardon or drop charges against 8,665 people. In January 2026, more than 6,000 prisoners were freed in an Independence Day amnesty. Suu Kyi was excluded from both.The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners has reported that more than 30,000 people have been detained on political charges since the 2021 coup, including Suu Kyi, former President Win Myint, and thousands of activists and anti-junta militia members.
Min Aung Hlaing’s first amnesty as president
Min Aung Hlaing,, was elected president by parliament on April 3, formalising his grip on power in a country still engaged in a civil war that has displaced more than 3.5 million people. At his inauguration last week, he said peace, stability and reconciliation were his priority.
