Myanmar's military government announced it has reduced the prison sentence of former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi and released former president Win Myint from detention.

The decision represents a rare clemency move by the military junta that seized power in a February 2021 coup, overthrowing the elected civilian government led by Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy party.

Suu Kyi, a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who spent years under house arrest during previous periods of military rule, has been imprisoned since the coup on various charges including corruption, incitement, and violations of telecommunications and state secrets laws. The specific details of her sentence reduction were not immediately disclosed.

Win Myint, who served as Myanmar's president from 2018 until the military takeover, was also detained following the coup and faced similar charges related to his role in the civilian government.

The military government has faced sustained international pressure and sanctions since seizing power, with critics arguing that charges against civilian leaders were politically motivated. The coup sparked widespread protests and civil disobedience that the military has sought to suppress through force.

Myanmar has remained in political turmoil since the takeover, with the military government struggling to establish legitimacy domestically and internationally while facing ongoing resistance from pro-democracy groups.