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Myanmar’s Suu Kyi unable to take stand for health reasons: Lawyer

Monday, 13 September 2021 9:16 AM [ Last Update: Monday, 13 September 2021 9:59 AM ]

This picture taken on January 17, 2020, shows Myanmar's then State Counsellor Aung San Suu Kyi at the welcoming ceremony for China's President Xi Jinping at the Presidential Palace in Naypyidaw. (File photo by AFP)

The deposed leader of Myanmar, Aung San Suu Kyi, has skipped her court hearings for health reasons, a member of her defense team said.

Suu Kyi’s lawyer said on Monday that the ousted leader was not able to take the stand because she was experiencing motion sickness.

"She hasn't gone anywhere by car in the last two months. That's why she felt car sickness today. She said she needs to go back home to take a proper rest. We are really worried about her health," Min Min Soe said.

Suu Kyi, 76, was deposed in a coup by the military junta early this year. She is currently under house arrest and facing multiple charges, including illegal importation and possession of walkie-talkie radios, accepting bribes, and violating coronavirus protocols.

Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy (NLD) party won the November elections by a landslide, but the junta claimed there were massive irregularities.

The coup was followed by a mass uprising that was met with a brutal crackdown on dissent. Myanmar's armed forces reportedly killed more than 1,000 civilians despite international outrage.