Sources close to Monywa Prison told DVB that political prisoner Wai Moe Naing was transferred from Monywa Prison in Sagaing Region to Obo Prison in Mandalay Region on Wednesday.
“We learned about his transfer from [Monywa] Prison staff,” a source close to the prison told DVB on condition of anonymity, adding that Wai Moe Naing was among 200 prisoners transferred from Monywa Prison to Mandalay’s Obo Prison. The Sagaing Region capital Monywa is located 82 miles (131 km) west of Mandalay.
Wai Moe Naing, 29, is a writer and pro-democracy campaigner who was arrested by the authorities during an anti-coup protest on April 15, 2021. This is when a vehicle drove through traffic and hit him while he was riding his motorcycle with many others in a mobile protest against the military coup.
On April 5, 2023, the Monywa Prison court convicted Wai Moe Naing of robbery, rioting, carrying a deadly weapon, inflicting harm, and incitement. He was sentenced to 34 years in prison under Sections 148, 395, 397, and 505 (A) of the Myanmar Penal Code.
On May 19, 2023, he received an additional 20 year sentence for treason. Another 20-year sentence for murder charges followed on May 10, 2024, bringing his total prison term to 74 years.
Wai Moe Naing has faced multiple violations of his right to a fair trial since his arrest in 2021, according to the writers’ association and freedom of expression organization PEN International.
This includes closed-door hearings in military-controlled courts and being compelled to represent himself after his lawyers were either arrested, or declined his case due to the fear of retaliation from the regime.
PEN International has called for Wai Moe Naing’s unconditional release from prison in Myanmar. His family and friends have rejected the murder charges against him.
The Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP) has documented a total of 6,795 people, including pro-democracy activists and civilians, have been killed by the military since the 2021 coup.
An additional 29,272 people have been arrested with 22,120 currently held in detention by the regime.
