Myanmar's new president Min Aung Hlaing has pardoned former president Win Myint and reduced the prison sentence of detained leader Aung San Suu Kyi as part of a mass amnesty covering over 4,000 prisoners.
The amnesty represents one of Min Aung Hlaing's first major acts since assuming the presidency this month, five years after leading the military coup that toppled Myanmar's elected government. Win Myint, who served as president from 2018 until the 2021 coup, received a full pardon of his post-coup convictions.
Suu Kyi's 27-year sentence has been cut by one-sixth, though uncertainty remains over whether the 80-year-old Nobel Peace Prize winner will serve her remaining time under house arrest rather than in prison. Her lawyer confirmed the sentence reduction but provided no details about potential changes to her detention conditions.
Myanmar has returned to the path of democracy and is heading towards a better future
Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar President — Al Jazeera
The amnesty covers 4,335 prisoners total, including 179 foreign nationals who will be deported. All death sentences will be commuted to life imprisonment, while life sentences are reduced to 40 years. Other prisoners receive a one-sixth reduction in their terms.
Al Jazeera frames the amnesty with skepticism, emphasizing the documented pattern of previous pardons releasing few political prisoners and highlighting family members' cautious hope outside prisons. Their coverage underscores the gap between the military's democratic rhetoric and the reality of continued repression.