Myanmar cuts Aung San Suu Kyi’s 27-year sentence by one-sixth, but Nobel laureate still in jail
Myanmar has reduced jailed former leader Aung San Suu Kyi’s sentence by one-sixth, but the 80-year-old Nobel peace laureate remains in custody at an undisclosed location, her lawyer told Reuters on Friday.Suu Kyi was serving a 27-year sentence for crimes that her allies say were politically motivated, ranging from incitement and corruption to election fraud and violations of state secrets laws. The reduction in sentence means his term has been reduced by approximately four and a half years.However, she was not among the 4,335 prisoners freed in a New Year amnesty announced Friday by President Min Aung Hlaing, according to state MRTV. The amnesty also included commuting the death sentence to life imprisonment and commuting the life sentence to 40 years.The former leader has not been seen in public since the end of his marathon trials. His whereabouts are unknown. In an interview with Reuters last year, his son, Kim Aris, said that he had received only limited updates about his condition, but knew that his health was declining.
Third apology in six months
The New Year amnesty is the third such release in the last six months. In November 2025, the former junta announced that it would pardon 8,665 people or drop charges against them. In January 2026, more than 6,000 prisoners were freed in the Independence Day amnesty. Suu Kyi was kept out of 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 apology as president
Min Aung Hlaing was elected president by parliament on April 3, formalizing his grip on power in a country that is still embroiled in a civil war that has left more than 3.5 million people displaced. At his inauguration ceremony last week, he said peace, stability and reconciliation were his priorities.