Deposed Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi was unable to attend a court hearing for health reasons, her lawyers have said.

A member of her legal team described her condition on Monday as dizziness caused by motion sickness.

Min Min Soe told Reuters news agency Ms Suu Kyi, 76, did not have COVID-19 but felt unwell because she had not travelled in a vehicle for a long time.

“It is not serious sickness… She suffered car sickness. She cannot stand that feeling and told us she wanted to take a rest.”

Ms Suu Kyi is on trial in the capital Naypyitaw over charges that include illegal importation and possession of walkie-talkie radios and violating coronavirus protocols.

She also faces charges in a separate case of accepting big bribes and violating a state secrets law.

Her legal team reject all of the allegations against her.

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Khin Maung Zaw, who heads her legal team, said Ms Suu Kyi could not take the stand on Monday and the judge consented to her absence.

“She seemed to be ill, sneezing and said she was drowsy. Therefore the lawyers talked only briefly with her,” he said.

Ms Suu Kyi’s party, the National League for Democracy (NLD) won a resounding victory in November’s general election, proving far more popular than the military-aligned politicians.

But on 1 February, the military staged a coup, citing concerns about alleged electoral fraud as one of the reasons it needed to seize power.

Since taking control of Myanmar the military junta has arrested several key figures in the NLD, including Ms Suu Kyi in February and Myanmar‘s president, U Win Myint.

Last week, up to 20 villagers in the northwestern Magway region, including several teenagers, were killed in some of the deadliest fighting since July between government troops and resistance forces.

The fighting near Gangaw township started on Thursday, two days after a call for a nationwide uprising was issued by the National Unity Government, an opposition organisation that seeks to coordinate resistance to military rule.

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