Nov 05, 2008 (DVB)-Authorities have been taking steps to move the trials of a political activist, currently held at relevant township courts in Rangoon, to courts inside Insein prison, a lawyer told DVB.

Ko Nyi Nyi Hlaing, the lawyer of activist De Nyein Linn, said he was summoned to Rangoon’s joint divisional court-2 by the authorities on Monday and told that the trials of his client will be relocated to Insein prison.

"Court officials told me that the prosecutor of my client, Sanchaung [township] police chief Kyaw Kyaw, stated there is a security risk in local courts and that he made a request to move the trials to Insein prison," said Ko Nyi Nyi Hlaing.

"I contended that it was wrong to make such a move as nothing had ever gone wrong at the local courts before."

De Nyein Linn has been tried at three different township courts in Rangoon; Dagon, Sanchaung and Htantapin.

Ko Nyi Nyi Hlaing said he would plea against the prosecutor’s request during the impending court hearing on 11 November.

"According to the regulations on court hearings, a trial must be held openly in front of the public and the families of those involved," he said.

"It’s our job as pleaders to plead for our clients and if I am accused of contempt of court for doing so, I will go to prison if I have to. This is my job."

Recently, defence lawyer Nyi Nyi Htwe and three of his clients were sentenced to six months’ imprisonment each for ‘interrupting court proceedings’.

De Nyein Linn, a final-year geology student, was studying at Rangoon Western University and had taken exams in September 2007 before being arrested later that month for his involvement in public demonstrations.

Reporting by Naw Say Phaw