Lawyers representing critics of Myanmar’s military government face harassment and attacks ranging from threats and arrests to unfair trials and even torture, a human rights organization charged Thursday, saying such actions reflect a broader assault on the country’s justice system.
Human Rights Watch also accused the country’s military authorities of imposing systematic obstacles and restrictions on lawyers to prevent them from taking the cases of political detainees.
The report cites the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, a group which keeps detailed records of arrests and casualties perpetrated by the authorities, as tallying at least 32 lawyers who are in pretrial detention or serving sentences on various charges.
Myanmar is wracked by violence that began after the army ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi in February 2021 and brutally suppressed nonviolent protests, triggering armed resistance that has led to armed conflict over most of the country.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, authorities have killed at least 3,630 civilians and arrested 23,283 people since the army takeover.
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