Myanmar’s state media reported that detained former leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been transferred to house arrest. The 80-year-old Nobel laureate has been held in detention, likely in a military prison in the capital Naypyidaw, since the 2021 coup that ousted her elected government.

A statement from coup leader Min Aung Hlaing said he had “commuted her remaining sentence to be served at the designated residence.” Suu Kyi came to power in 2015 after democratic reforms and previously spent over 15 years under house arrest during decades of military rule.

State media broadcast a photo of her sitting with two uniformed personnel. Her son Kim Aris expressed skepticism, saying he has no proof she is alive. “I hope this is true. But until I’m allowed communication with her, or somebody can independently verify her condition, I won’t believe anything,” he told the BBC.

Her legal team told Reuters they had no direct notification of the house arrest. No confirmed images of Suu Kyi had emerged since a court appearance in May 2021. Her 33-year sentence has been reduced several times.

Analysts suggest the junta may be preparing for partial or full release, seeking to end international isolation. Suu Kyi won the Nobel Peace Prize in 1991 but her image was tarnished by defending the military against genocide charges for atrocities against Rohingya Muslims.

Source: www.bbc.com