A court in Myanmar has agreed to postpone its verdict in the trial of the ousted leader of the National League for Democracy, Aung San Suu Kyi. The court announced Tuesday that it would wait for an additional witness to testify.
The court agreed with the postponement motion by the defense to allow for the testimony of a senior member of Suu Kyi's political party, who was not able to come to the court due to health reasons. Officials said that the court would wait for Zaw Myint Maung's testimony before it could deliver its verdict.
A verdict against Suu Kyi on charges of incitement and violating coronavirus restrictions were scheduled to be delivered today, Tuesday. She is also facing a number of additional allegations in separate cases, including corruption, for which she may face a jail sentence if convicted.
If the court had not agreed to the postponement, the 76-year-old Nobel laureate would have received her first verdict since the army seized control on Feb. 1, detaining her and preventing her party from seeking re-election.
In last year's elections, Suu Kyi's party won by a landslide. The army, whose associated party lost several seats, said there was widespread voting fraud. Suu Kyi remains a popular figure and a symbol of anti-military rule.
The army's takeover was met by national nonviolent protests, which security forces put down with lethal force, killing an estimated 1,300 demonstrators.
The court postponed the hearing until Dec. 6, when Maung is expected to testify. A legal official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because the government has restricted information on the trial's release, confirmed the hearing date. It is still unclear if a decision will be made during the upcoming hearing.
When the army seized control, Maung, the chief minister of the Mandalay area, an important state-level position, was also imprisoned. He is a medical doctor and the deputy chairperson of Suu Kyi's party, and he, like her, is facing multiple criminal allegations, including corruption. He is 69 years old and is suffering from leukemia.
Maung followed Suu Kyi throughout her election campaign last year, notably in Naypyitaw, where opponents accused their group of breaking coronavirus restrictions.
The cases are largely viewed as fabricated in order to undermine Suu Kyi and prevent her from running in the upcoming election. Anyone who has been convicted to jail is barred from holding high office or becoming a legislator under the country's constitution.
