Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence was reduced by another one-sixth in an amnesty announced April 30, leaving her with just over 18 years to serve. This is the second cut in two weeks after an April 17 commutation that also freed former president Win Myint. She remains detained at an undisclosed location with no face-to-face access for lawyers or family. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing faces international pressure, including from ASEAN, to release political detainees.
Aung San Suu Kyi's Prison Term Reduced Again; Now Just Over 18 Years, Lawyer Says
FILE PHOTO: A Myanmar protester living in Japan holds a placard of Myanmar's detained former leader, Aung San Suu Kyi, during a rally denouncing an upcoming election led by the military junta, outside Myanmar's embassy in Tokyo, Japan, December 14, 2025. REUTERS/Issei Kato/File Photo
Lawyers for detained former Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi said on April 30 that her prison sentence was reduced by a further one-sixth under a new amnesty, the second commutation announced in two weeks.
The Nobel laureate, who has been held since the military seized power in a 2021 coup, now has just over 18 years remaining to serve, a member of her legal team said, speaking on condition of anonymity.
After a lengthy series of trials, Aung San Suu Kyi, 80, was originally sentenced to 33 years on convictions including corruption, incitement tied to alleged election fraud and violations of state secrecy laws — charges her supporters say were politically motivated to sideline her. That 33-year term was previously reduced to 27 years and then shortened again by one-sixth in a Myanmar New Year amnesty on April 17, which also freed her ally and co-defendant, former president Win Myint.
The latest reduction followed a state media announcement on April 30 saying sentences for all prisoners would be commuted. Aung San Suu Kyi's current whereabouts remain unknown; she has not been seen in public since the trials concluded and continues to be held at an undisclosed location. Her legal team and family have not been granted face-to-face access.
Myanmar's military-backed government did not immediately respond to requests for comment. Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing, who led the 2021 coup, has faced international pressure — including from ASEAN — to release political detainees as he seeks to re-engage regionally. Last week he told Thailand's foreign minister that she was "well looked after" and that the government was considering unspecified "good things."
Observers say the repeated commutations provide limited relief to critics who argue that the convictions were intended to neutralize a political rival rather than serve justice. The situation remains closely watched by regional diplomats and rights groups.
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