Up to 35 political prisoners, including four women, have been rearrested and re-imprisoned under fresh criminal charges immediately after completing their formal sentences across Myanmar between January 2025 and October 2026, according to a report released on Monday by the Political Prisoners Network – Myanmar (PPNM).
The systematic rearrests were highlighted by a recent incident on Oct. 1 at Sittwe Prison in Arakan State, where regime police seized 13 political prisoners as they were being processed for release upon completing their prison terms.
By Oct. 5, all 13 were brought before regime courts and sentenced to an additional 10 years in prison under Section 50(j) of the Counter-Terrorism Law.
A former political prisoner in Arakan confirmed that political detainees inside the state’s correctional facilities are routinely excluded from regime amnesties.
DVB has documented that out of 132,286 inmates freed across 24 regime amnesties since the February 2021 coup, only 8,878—or roughly 6.3 per cent—were political prisoners.
Human rights observers view these extended detentions as direct regime retaliation following severe military setbacks in Arakan State, where the Arakan Army (AA) has seized control of 14 of 17 townships, as well as Paletwa Township in neighboring Chin State, since initiating its most recent offensive in November 2023.
A regime counteroffensive launched on Sept. 4 has reportedly faltered, triggering punitive measures against political detainees.
According to PPNM, the 35 rearrested individuals are spread across facilities nationwide, including Sittwe Prison (13) and Kyaukphyu Prison (7) in Arakan State, Loikaw Prison (4) in Karenni State, Magway and Obo Prisons (3 each), Insein and Daik-U Prisons (2 each), and Thayawaddy Prison (1).
PPNM condemned the regime’s practice of filing new charges under Section 17(1) of the Unlawful Associations Act alongside Sections 50(j) and 52(a) of the Counter-Terrorism Law as a blatant violation of international law prohibiting arbitrary detention.
According to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners (AAPP), 32,146 people have been arrested for political reasons since the 2021 coup, with 15,040 remaining behind bars.
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