Immediate releaseDate: October 30, 2008
On October 29th 2008, nine leaders of the 88 Generation Students Group were sentenced to 6 months imprisonment by Northern Rangoon district court.During the court hearing, Min Ko Naing and other defendants stood up and complained about the lack of a free and independent judiciary.
The presiding judge accused them of interrupting court procedures and charged them under Section 228 of the Penal Code for contempt of court. He handed down a six-month sentence for nine student leaders - Min Ko Naing, Ko Ko Gyi, Mya Aye, Pyone Cho (aka) Htay Win Aung, Aung Thu, Htay Kywe, Nyan Lin, Myo Aung Naing, and Hla Myo Naung. The remaining defendants in court stood up and demanded that the judge sentence them too.
The judge ordered security forces to remove the defendants from the court and adjourned the trial.“Trials for political prisoners are grossly unfair,” said Ko Tate, secretary of the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP).
“Judges and law officers are not operating independently of the ruling State Peace and Development Council. In this case 88 Generation leaders have been harshly punished simply for calling for their right to a free and fair trial to be respected.” -
ENDS -
