A court in army-ruled Burma (Myanmar) heard final arguments today in a case involving opposition leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who faces five years in prison if found guilty of breaching a draconian security law.
Lawyers read closing arguments for the other defendants, two of Ms Suu Kyi's housemaids and John Yettaw, an American intruder whose two-night stay at Ms Suu Kyi's home in May could land all four defendants in jail.
The prosecution also wrapped up its case against Ms Suu Kyi. The Nobel laureate's lawyers said they will answer the prosecution's case on Tuesday.
"It's not over yet - the defence will get anther chance to respond to the prosecution's arguments," Ms Suu Kyi's lawyer, Nyan Win, told reporters.
Nyan Win earlier said he did not believe a verdict would come soon and might take as long as two to three weeks.
A guilty verdict is widely expected in a country where courts are known to rule in favour of the army, which has governed Burma for nearly 50 years.
The trial began in May and has been held mostly behind closed doors, although several Asian and European diplomats were allowed to attend proceedings today and last Friday.
The case has been dismissed as a show trial by critics, and the international community has repeatedly called for the charges to be dropped and for Ms Suu Kyi (64), to be freed.
She is charged with breaching the terms of her house arrest by allowing Yettaw to stay at her Yangon home after he evaded security guards and swam across the Inya lake using homemade fins.
Her legal team says that the law she is charged under, which protects the state from "subversive elements", is obsolete.
Nyan Win also said he will argue that the charge was irrelevant since the junta had officially referred to her detention as "protective custody" and not "house arrest".
Ms Suu Kyi has been in detention for 14 of the past 20 years, mostly under house arrest.
Rights group Amnesty International today awarded her the title of "Ambassador of Conscience" for her role in the struggle for democracy in Burma.
"Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol of hope, courage and the undying defense of human rights, not only to the people of Myanmar but to people around the world," Amnesty's secretary-general, Irene Khan, said in a statement.
Ms Suu Kyi's NLD won Burma's last general election in 1990 by a landslide but the generals ignored the result. Critics have expressed concern that next year's polls will be rigged to further entrench army rule.
Reuters