Myanmar scraps all death sentences
The Telegraph • • general
Key Points:
- Myanmar’s President Min Aung Hlaing has commuted all death sentences to life imprisonment as part of a broader amnesty, marking one of his first official acts since taking office following a disputed election.
- Over 4,500 prisoners have been granted amnesty or had their sentences reduced to coincide with the country's traditional new year, with nearly 180 foreigners set for release and deportation.
- The pardon does not appear to include political detainees such as former leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who remains imprisoned amid ongoing military rule and widespread political repression.
- Life sentences have been reduced to 40 years, and shorter prison terms cut by one-sixth, meaning Suu Kyi’s 27-year sentence could be shortened by about four and a half years.
- Since the 2021 military coup, thousands of civilians have been killed and over 22,000 political prisoners remain jailed, many charged under laws used to suppress dissent and opposition to the military regime.
