On Monday 6 December, the EU High Representative of the Union for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy, Josep Borrell, on behalf of the EU, strongly condemned the sentencing of Burmese President Win Myint, State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi and Mayor Myo Aung to prison.
Win Myint and Aung San Suu Kyi, who were initially sentenced to four years in prison for inciting public disorder and violating health regulations related to Covid-19, have since had their sentences reduced to two years, the military junta leader reportedly announced.
The “politically motivated” verdict is “another major setback” for democracy in Myanmar since the February 2021 military coup, the High Representative said in a statement, adding that the trial was also politically motivated and represented a further step towards the dismantling of the rule of law and a further gross violation of human rights in the country.
Mr Borrell reiterated the EU’s calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all political prisoners and all those arbitrarily detained since the coup.
According to the High Representative, it is “imperative” that the military authorities allow a rapid return of the country to democracy.
See the statement: https://bit.ly/3EtG1Sx (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)