September 29 (Reuters) – A military-run court in Myanmar sentenced ousted leader Aung San Suu Kyi and her former economic adviser, Australian Sean Turnell, to three years on Thursday for breaching a secrets law , said a source familiar with the matter.
Turnell was also found guilty of violating an immigration law and was ordered to simultaneously serve another three years, according to a second source and news reports. A former British envoy, an American journalist and a Japanese filmmaker were also charged under the same law.
Both Suu Kyi and Turnell had pleaded not guilty to the charges against them, which carry a maximum sentence of 14 years.
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“Three years each, no hard labor,” said the source, who declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
Suu Kyi, Turnell and several members of her economics team are among thousands arrested since the military overthrew her elected government in a coup early last year, including politicians, lawmakers , bureaucrats, students and journalists.
Nobel laureate Suu Kyi has previously been sentenced to at least 23 years in prison in separate cases, mostly related to corruption charges. She denies all the charges against her.
Opponents of the military say the charges against Suu Kyi are aimed at preventing her from getting involved in politics again and challenging the military’s hold on power.
A junta spokesman did not respond to calls seeking comment on Thursday. The junta insists that Myanmar’s courts are independent and that those arrested receive due process.
Turnell, who is also a professor of economics at Macquarie University in Australia, has been in custody for days following the coup.
His wife, Ha Vu, who lives in Australia, said she and her family were “heartbroken” by the verdict and called for his deportation.
“Sean has been one of Myanmar’s biggest supporters for over 20 years and has worked tirelessly to strengthen Myanmar’s economy. Please consider the contributions…and kick him out now,” she said in a statement. Facebook post.
Australia has called for Turnell’s release.
“The Australian Government has consistently rejected the charges against Professor Turnell. (It) rejects today’s court ruling…and calls for his immediate release,” Foreign Secretary Penny Wong said in a statement.
Australian consular officials tasked with assisting Turnell were denied access to court, Wong said.
Thursday’s sentencing took place in a closed court in the capital, Naypyitaw. The defendants’ exact offense under the Official Secrets Act remains unclear, although a source previously said Turnell’s offense “relates to an allegation that he possessed government records.”
An analyst at the International Crisis Group think tank, Richard Horsey, called the proceedings a “show trial”.
“For Sean, the hope must now be that – having already been in detention for nearly 20 months – he will soon be released from this terrible ordeal and reunited with his family,” he said.
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Reuters staff reports; Written by Kanupriya Kapoor; Editing by Ed Davies, Robert Birsel and Kim Coghill
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