Myanmar releases 3,000 prisoners before disputed election, but Aung San Suu Kyi remains jailed.

Myanmar’s military-led government granted a mass amnesty releasing over 3,000 prisoners, including political detainees and journalists arrested after the 2021 coup, ahead of a December 28 election. The move, approved by the National Defense and Security Council, also dropped charges against more than 5,500 others and granted conditional release to 724 inmates. Among those freed were NLD member Kyi Toe and journalist Zaw Lin Htut. Former leader Aung San Suu Kyi remains imprisoned, along with an estimated 22,708 political detainees as of November 27, 2025. Critics say the election lacks fairness due to ongoing media suppression, the detention of opposition leaders, and military control, calling the amnesty a strategic effort to bolster legitimacy.