Myanmar court sentences nine activists to up to 37 years over election protest

A court in Myanmar has sentenced nine activists to prison terms of up to 37 years over a protest calling for a boycott of the military-backed elections. The sentences were handed down by two courts in Mandalay, the country's second-largest city, according to an activist group that announced the verdicts on Wednesday. The case centres on a flash protest held in downtown Mandalay in December, after which the activists were arrested the following day.

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Eight of the protesters, including prominent activist Htet Myat Aung, received 37-year sentences, while a ninth activist was sentenced to 27 years, the group said. The convictions were made under the electoral law and the counterterrorism law. The activists had urged the public to reject the elections scheduled between 25 December 2025 and 25 January 2026, and also called for an end to mandatory conscription.

The group's spokesperson, May Hnin of the Anti-Junta Forces Coordination Committee-Mandalay, said the activists were punished for peacefully protesting and that the aim was to create fear among the public. She said the group believed the verdicts would not be overturned and that the activists would not appeal. The military-backed authorities have not publicly commented on the sentences.

The case comes against the backdrop of tighter restrictions on political expression in Myanmar. In July 2025, the authorities adopted a law banning speech, organising, incitement, protests or leaflet distribution intended to disrupt the electoral process, with penalties ranging up to the death penalty. More than 200 people were charged under that law before the December vote, which was won by the military-backed Union Solidarity and Development Party.

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Opponents and independent observers said the election was neither free nor fair because major opposition parties did not take part. The protest in Mandalay also reflected wider anger over conscription and the detention of political prisoners since the military seized power from the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in 2021. The sentencing therefore adds to concerns about the use of courts and security laws to suppress dissent ahead of and after the vote.

What remains unclear is whether any further legal steps will follow and whether the authorities will issue a formal response. It is also not known if the sentences will be enforced immediately or whether the activists will remain in custody under the current rulings. The case is likely to remain a point of scrutiny because it combines election-related offences, counterterrorism charges and long prison terms for a peaceful protest.

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