Image: Reuters Berita 24 English - Two famous democracy advocates' appeals against their death sentences were denied by Myanmar's mi...
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| Image: Reuters |
Berita 24 English - Two famous democracy advocates' appeals against their death sentences were denied by Myanmar's military administration on Friday, opening the path for the country's first executions in decades.
The administration has faced considerable international censure for deposing an elected government in a coup more than a year ago and unleashing a ruthless assault on critics, opposition members, and activists since then.
According to a junta announcement at the time, Kyaw Min Yu, a senior democracy campaigner, and Phyo Zeyar Thaw, a lawmaker for the former ruling National League for Democracy (NLD), were sentenced to death by a military tribunal in January on counts of treason and terrorism.
Friday's revelation, which U.N. spokesperson Stephane Dujarric termed as a "blatant human rights violation," left the UN "very worried."
"Against those jailed on charges connected to the exercise of their fundamental freedoms and rights, and for the prompt release of all political prisoners in Myanmar," said UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, according to Dujarric.
It was unclear if Kyaw Min Yu and Phyo Zeyar Thaw had denied the charges. Their appeals were not mentioned in the junta's announcement.
Their appeals against the sentences were denied, according to a junta official, though it was unclear who made the decision. Representatives for the activists could not be reached for comment.
"Previously, death row inmates may appeal their sentences, and if no judgment was reached, their death penalties would not be carried out. That appeal has been denied at this moment, hence the death penalties will be carried out "Zaw Min Tun, a junta official, informed BBC Burmese.
He did not specify a date for the executions.
For heinous crimes such as murder, Myanmarese judges sentence defendants to death, yet no one has been executed in decades.
The military seized control after alleging fraud in a general election won by Aung San Suu Kyi's NLD in November 2020. There was no evidence of widespread election fraud, according to election monitoring organizations.
