Burma: Myanmar court imprisons detained opposition official’s lawyer for 15 years

Ywat Nu Aung, who represented the NLD’s vice chair, is sentenced to 15 years with hard labor.

A secret court in Myanmar on Wednesday sentenced the lawyer representing a leader of the former ruling political party to 15 years in prison with hard labor, according to an attorney with knowledge of the country’s judicial proceedings.

The military tribunal in Mandalay’s Obo Prison sentenced Ywat Nu Aung, who represented Zaw Myint Maung, a vice chair of the National League for Democracy Party, on charges of aiding a terrorist organization, the attorney told Radio Free Asia, speaking on condition of anonymity, citing fear of reprisal.

The move is the latest by the military junta, which took control of the government in a February coup, to target political opponents and anyone representing them. At least six Mandalay lawyers representing NLD members have been arrested.

Ywat Nu Aung, 43, was arrested on April 27 and convicted of abetting terrorists after the chief of the Mandalay police brought a lawsuit against her, accusing her of providing 300,000 kyats, or about U.S.$140, to the Mandalay People’s Defense Force, a regional anti-junta resistance group.

Prior to her arrest, Ywat Nu Aung, who is also a human rights lawyer, was handling the cases of regional government officials and NLD members.

She also represented the victim of the so-called Victoria case, a widely followed incident of child rape in the capital of Naypyidaw.

In July, sources close to the legal community told RFA that Tin Win Aung, U Thuta, and an unidentified person – three lawyers who were representing clients in anti-regime political cases – had been arrested in Mandalay on their return from working at Obo Prison’s court.

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https://www.rfa.org/english/news/myanmar/lawyer-12282022173356.html