by Mizzima News
Friday, 04 December 2009 18:42
New Delhi (Mizzima) - Burma’s High court on Friday agreed to hear the appeal request against the sentencing of pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi on December 21, her lawyer said.
Nyan Win, one of her defence lawyers, told Mizzima on Friday that the High court has fixed December 21 for the hearing of the appeal request against the Nobel Peace Laureate’s sentencing by a district court in August.
The Burmese pro-democracy leader was sentenced to three years in prison on charges of violating her previous detention rules, by allowing an American man, who swam across the lake near her house and stayed for two nights in early May 2009.
But Burma’s military junta supremo Snr. Gen Than Shwe, in an executive order halved the sentence and allowed to serve time at her lakeside home, where she has spent most of the 14 years in detention.
“We will submit our arguments on December 21, and the judge will decide whether the appeal has been accepted for revision,” Nyan Win added.
Earlier, the Rangoon divisional court accepted the appeal but after conducting a number of hearings, concluded that the lower court’s decision was in keeping with the law and ruled out further revision.
The defence, however, was unhappy with the court’s decision, saying the sentencing of the Burmese democracy icon was based on the 1975 law, which had become obsolete along with the 1974 constitution since the current military rulers assumed power in 1988.
Some information contributed by Myint Maung, writing by Mungpi
Saturday, December 5, 2009
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