Myanmar’s military authorities have reduced the prison sentence of detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi by about one-sixth as part of a traditional New Year amnesty, her lawyer confirmed on Friday.

The 80-year-old Nobel laureate, who had been serving a total of 27 years in prison, has had her sentence cut by approximately four and a half years. However, it remains unclear whether she will be permitted to serve the remainder under house arrest or continue in detention.

Suu Kyi has been imprisoned since the military, led by Min Aung Hlaing, seized power in the 2021 Myanmar coup d'état, ousting her elected government. She faces multiple charges, including incitement, corruption, election fraud, and violations of state secrets laws accusations widely criticized by international observers as politically motivated.

According to The Independent, Suu Kyi remains held incommunicado, without access to her family or legal counsel, and her exact place of detention has not been disclosed, raising ongoing concerns over her safety and due process rights.

The sentence reduction comes amid a broader amnesty announced by the junta to mark Myanmar’s traditional New Year, under which around 4,500 prisoners are set to be released, with additional inmates receiving reduced sentences. Among those included is former president Win Myint, a close ally of Suu Kyi who was detained during the 2021 coup.

Suu Kyi led Myanmar as state counsellor from 2016 until her removal in 2021, a period that initially raised hopes for democratic reform but ultimately ended with the military’s return to full control. She is now among thousands of political prisoners detained across the country since the coup.

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