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High Drama During January 6 Hearings; Senate Passes Gun Safety Bill; Russia's War in Ukraine; Embarrassing Losses for UK Conservatives; Humanitarian Crisis in Afghanistan; Rescue Workers Scramble To Reach Afghan Quake Survivors; Rights Groups Criticize Junta After Suu Kyi Sent To Prison. Aired 2-2:45a ET
Aired June 24, 2022 - 02:00 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
[02:00:00]
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NICK WATT, CNN NATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Hello and welcome to our viewers joining us from all around the world. You are watching "CNN Newsroom." I am Nick Watt in Los Angeles. Just ahead --
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RICHARD DONOGHUE, FORMER ACTING U.S. DEPUTY ATTORNEY GENERAL: What I'm just asking you to do is just say it was corrupt and leave the rest to me and the Republican congressmen.
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WATT: That is just part of the shocking new public testimony from top U.S. Justice Department officials about President Donald Trump's plan to overturn the 2020 election.
Plus, Ukraine's bid to become an E.U. member is now a step closer to reality. We are live in Brussels with details.
And a humanitarian crisis escalating in Afghanistan after the massive earthquake that killed hundreds. We will talk with an aid worker in Kabul to get the latest.
We begin in Washington with the stunning testimony detailing Donald Trump's relentless pressure on the Justice Department to back his baseless conspiracies and overturn the 2020 election.
Former senior Justice Department officials say the former president wanted voting machines seized, demanded the department declare the election corrupt, even demanded an investigation into a bizarre claim that Italian satellites had somehow changed votes from Trump to Biden.
The committee also heard about an Oval Office meeting in which Trump said he wanted to fire his acting attorney general and elevate a junior unqualified official to the role who backed Trump's voter fraud conspiracies and efforts to overturn the election. Apparently, only the threat of mass resignations changed Trump's mind. (BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)
DONOGHUE: The president immediately turned to Mr. Engel. And he said, Steve, you wouldn't resign, would you? And he said, absolutely I would, Mr. President. You leave me no choice. And then I said, and we're not the only ones. No one cares if we resign. If Steve and I go, that's fine. It doesn't matter. But I'm telling you what's going to happen, you're going to lose your entire department leadership. Every single AAG will walk out on you. Your entire department of leadership will walk out within hours.
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WATT: The witnesses said every time they refuted a Trump election conspiracy, he pushed back with yet another demand.
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JEFFREY ROSEN, FORMER ACTING U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: At one point, he had raised the question of having a special counsel for election fraud. At one point, he raised the -- whether the Justice Department would file a lawsuit in the Supreme Court. Couple of junctures, there were questions about making public statements or about holding a press conference.
The Justice Department declined all of those requests that I was just referencing because we did not think that they were appropriate, based on the facts and the law.
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WATT: More now on a historic day from CNN's chief congressional correspondent Manu Raju.
(BEGIN VIDEOTAPE)
DONOGHUE: He just told me, it is your job to seize machines and you're not doing your job.
MANU RAJU, CNN CHIEF CONGRESSIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Top Justice officials testifying about the lengths Donald Trump went to use the power of the federal government to pursue his conspiracy that the election was stolen. Despite being told repeatedly there was no merit to his claims, Trump demanding they declare the election corrupt and leave the rest to him and members of Congress.
REP. ADAM KINZINGER (R-IL): Were any of the allegations he brought up found credible? Did you find anything credible?
DONOGHUE: No.
RAJU (voice-over): Trump's pressure campaign was relentless.
ROSEN: Between December 23rd and January 3rd, the president either called me or met with me virtually every day.
RAJU (voice-over): All of it came to a head in a tense January 3rd Oval Office meeting when Trump threatened to replace Acting Attorney General Jeffrey Rosen with Jeffrey Clark, a DOJ official who is willing to act on Trump's plan.
[02:04:58]
RUDY GIULIANI, FORMER TRUMP CAMPAIGN LAWYER: I do recall saying to people that somebody should be put in charge of the Justice Department who isn't frightened of what is going to be done to their reputation.
RAJU (voice-over): But top DOJ officials balked, including then- Deputy Attorney General Richard Donaghue.
DONOGHUE: I made the point that Jeff Clark is not even competent to serve as the attorney general. He's never been a criminal attorney. And I said, that's right, you're an environmental lawyer, how about you go back to your office and we'll call you when there is an oil spill?
RAJU (voice-over): Clark even writing this draft legit to Georgia and other states where Trump lost, falsely claiming there was voter fraud and calling on them to convene special legislative sessions.
ERIC HERSCHMANN, FORMER WHITE HOUSE SENIOR ADVISOR: When he finished discussing what he planned on doing, I said (bleep) excuse me, f-ing a-hole, congratulations, you just admitted your first step or act to take as attorney general would be committing a felony and violating rules.
RAJU (voice-over): Clark, who had his house raided by the FBI on Wednesday morning, testified to the committee behind closed doors in February, but he took the Fifth more than 100 times.
JEFFREY CLARK, FORMER ASSISTANT U.S. ATTORNEY GENERAL: It is an executive privilege, again, just restated for the abundance of caution.
RAJU (voice-over): Trump only backed down from replacing Rosen with Clark when the top officials all threatened to resign in protest.
DONOGHUE: Then the other AGs began to chime in and turned him off, essentially said they would leave. They would resign in mass if the president made that change in the department's leadership.
RAJU (voice-over): Committee members today also revealing more information about the GOP lawmakers who sought a pardon, including Congressman Scott Perry, who played a central role pushing for Clark to be elevated in the Justice Department. White House Attorney Eric Herschmann saying he believes Congressman Matt Gaetz also was seeking a pardon.
HERSCHMANN: The pardon that he was discussing, requesting was broad as you can describe from beginning, from the beginning of time up until today. He had mentioned Nixon, and I said Nixon's pardon was never nearly that broad. KINZINGER: The only reason I know to ask for a pardon is because you think you have committed a crime.
RAJU (on camera): Now, in addition to Perry and Gaetz, other Republican members apparently also asked for pardons. That includes Louis Gohmert, also Mo Brooks, Andy Biggs, and Marjorie Taylor Greene.
Marjorie Taylor Greene has denied this. The testimony that the committee showed was second-hand testimony, saying that they had heard that Greene had asked for a pardon through the White House Counsel's Office. She has denied that.
Others though have confirmed it, including Mo Brooks, the congressman from Alabama, who said that he had asked for a pardon, a blanket pardon for all Republicans who sought to challenge the election results, overturn the election results, because he said he was concerned that Democrats coming in would weaponize the Justice Department against the political enemies.
Manu Raju, CNN, Capitol Hill.
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WATT: Now, the January 6 Committee also just met behind closed doors with the British filmmaker who documented the final weeks of the Trump presidency. Alex Holder told CNN's Don Lemon that Trump did call January 6th a sad day, but said the people who went to Washington were very angry about an election they thought was rigged.
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ALEX HOLDER, DOCUMENTARY FILMMAKER: My position was that it was a staggering answer to that question. And so, the idea of trying to see whether or not he may even potentially dilute his position or change it wasn't for me to do. You know, I asked him a question, he gave me an answer. I'm not there to persuade him.
Do I think he's wrong? Of course, I think it was a tragic event. And the fact that he called them smart -- and also I thought what was very interesting was the fact that he used the word, that he thought, you know, these people think the election was stolen. And that was also quite interesting as well because why do they think that?
And for me, I feel that he is essentially admitting that the reason why they were there was because of the fact they believe in his position on the election.
DON LEMON, CNN HOST: Yeah. Did he at any point acknowledge that he lost?
HOLDER: No. And I'll say something. When I interviewed him for the first time in the White House about a month after the election, I had this debate with the director of photography, Michael, about whether or not the president actually believe that the election was rigged.
And I was of the opinion that, of course, he doesn't really believe the election is rigged. This is just Donald Trump rhetoric. But, after that interview, when he left and I was now thinking about what had just happened, my entire position changed. He absolutely genuinely believes that he won and that the election was stolen from him.
LEMON: And in that moment, you changed your mind?
[02:09:54]
HOLDER: Absolutely. I changed my mind in the point that he didn't really believe that I -- my conclusion was that Donald Trump genuinely believes that he won the 2020 presidential election, and that is terrifying.
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WATT: Holder's three-part documentary series, "Unprecedented," will be released this summer on Discovery Plus, which is owned by the same parent company as CNN.
Harry Litman is a former U.S. attorney, now a legal affairs columnist for the "L.A. Times." He joins me now from La Jolla, California. Harry, we tend to take democracy pretty much for granted here in this country. How close was this to a coup?
HARRY LITMAN, FORMER U.S. ATTORNEY, FORMER DEPUTY ASSISTANT ATTORNEY GENERAL: You know, it strikes me that this is a true attempted coup. When you think of coups normally, you think around the world of a last president trying to maybe engage the military.
In the U.S., the military is not who you would look to. You look to the Department of Justice. That is the institution that really speaks for the legal credibility, institutional stability of the country in this legal-driven democracy of ours.
He came very close. If he had been able to sack the entire power structure DOJ and have this flunky, essentially, send letters around to all the states saying this election is corrupt, you need to go for Trump, it seems quite possible to me, Nick, and to others that the states sort of said, gosh, I guess it is, and they might have followed the instructions, and then January 6th could have been not just violent but complete bedlam, ending with Trump still in power. At that point, it is a coup and we have lost the democracy.
WATT: Today we heard a lot from the Department of Justice officials who were serving under President Trump. I mean, of course, all eyes also on the current incumbents at the Department of Justice and whether they will charge Trump or any of his acolytes.
I mean, what does strike me as strange is it's been almost 18 months now since January 6th, also since that phone call was leaked, Trump calling officials in Georgia, saying, you know, just find me the votes one more than, you know, I need to win.
I mean, is there a reticence on behalf of the current Department of Justice officials to actually charge more than just the foot soldiers in this, to charge Trump and those around him?
LITMAN: I don't think so. Look, the foot soldiers have been sales constituted, the biggest criminal investigation in the history of the Department of Justice. They still haven't identified 300 of the Marauders. So, that has been quite an undertaking.
But now, in the last couple of months, there are grand jury meetings specifically looking at officials. We know the subpoenas have been served on some of the phony electors. Of course, just week, the fellow who was going to take over in the DOJ, Jeff Clark and John Eastman, both have been served search warrants. That means they are in earnest going down that path. That path ends with Donald Trump.
But you're quite right to point out Trump and his acolytes, and we think of, you know, the analogy of Watergate. It is pretty significant in and of itself if many of the president's circle wind up facing accountability and criminal charges. That could well happen.
I think if that happens, the department has said and is honor bound to look to the end. That means Trump. But that doesn't mean they will charge him. Charging the former president would be unprecedented and just provoke a lot of questions of what is in the best interest of the country.
But, you know, prosecutions take a lot longer than people think, especially people following the political cycle who would love the DOJ to come in and affect the midterms. They are moving in normal DOJ speed considering they started with the people on the ground and that was itself a huge enterprise.
WATT: Harry Litman, thanks very much. We will all keep watching.
LITMAN: Bye. Thank you.
WATT: Now, in the wake of the school shootings in Uvalde, Texas that saw 19 kids killed, the U.S. could soon see passage of the most consequential federal gun safety legislation in decades.
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UNKNOWN: The yeas are 65, the nays are 33. The motion to concur with an amendment is agreed to.
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WATT: That was the moment a bipartisan bill passed in the Senate late Thursday, 15 Republicans joining Democrats to support the measure. Among the highlights, the bill allocated resources for mental health, crisis intervention, and school safety.
[02:14:54]
WATT: It provides grants for states to enact red flag laws, making it easier to take guns away from anyone who might be a danger to themselves or others, and it closes the so-called boyfriend loophole which had allowed some domestic violence offenders to buy and own guns. But this bill will not ban any particular type of weapons, assault-style or otherwise.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi says the House will take up the bill as the first order of business in the hours ahead, Friday a.m. in Washington.
But passage of the Senate bill came on the same day the U.S. Supreme Court dramatically struck down a New York state law that had been on the books for more than a century. In a 6 to 3 decision, the court ruled New York's concealed carry law was unconstitutional because it restricts who may carry a concealed gun in public. The stunning ruling is expected to have far reaching impact on hundreds of gun statutes already in effect, as well as many potential future laws.
There was a heated dissent from liberal Justice Stephen Breyer, who blasted the ruling as short sighted. He wrote, I fear that the court's interpretation ignores the significant dangers and leaves states without the ability to address them.
Ukraine just scored a political victory in Brussels, but is facing a grinding military battle at home. According to two U.S. officials, a new intelligence assessment concludes the war in Eastern Ukraine will likely be long and brutal with heavy casualties on both sides.
Meanwhile, Ukraine has released this video of the gruelling battle in Lysychansk showing burned-out cars, blown-up apartment buildings, unexploded rockets embedded in the street. Ukraine says the battle for this city and in neighboring Severodonetsk has reached a pivotal point.
On Thursday, the European Union granted Ukraine candidate status for joining the group. President Zelenskyy says the move is not only helping Ukraine, but also the E.U. itself.
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VOLODYMYR ZELENSKYY, PRESIDENT OF UKRAINE (through translator): I believe this decision is not only for Ukraine. This is the biggest step towards strengthening Europe that could be taken right now in our time and in such difficult condition when the Russian war is testing our ability to preserve freedom and unity.
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WATT: For more on the E.U. decision, our international diplomatic editor Nick Robertson joins us live from Brussels. Nic, this is all moving pretty fast.
NIC ROBERTSON, CNN INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMATIC EDITOR: It is, but perhaps this is where the sort of momentum runs out in these -- in these applications. Ukraine is in the middle of a war. It took Poland that wasn't in the middle of a war 10 years to get from where Ukraine is today to full membership.
It's difficult and lengthy because there is a huge amount of work to be done. Also of on the line, the European Commission president described it as homework. He said there's a lot of homework to be done, that these countries which included Moldova as well, and Georgia will get candidate status as well when it has met a couple of other E.U. priorities, as I am framing it here.
So, this homework that is also on the line he is talking about is all about aligning European Union law with Ukrainian law, an estimated 200,000 pages of law. But the focus is -- and we really heard this coming through in all the language of the land -- also of on the line, also echoing what President Zelenskyy said, that this shows a strong and united European Union because it acted swiftly. It also strengthens Ukraine, Moldova, and Georgia in the face of Russia.
But the real test for these countries is now going to come in how quickly and readily can they make the changes to the, you know, the rule of law, to justice, to tackle issues on corruption, on standards in agriculture, you name it. There's a law for it in the E.U., and they're going to have to align their law. So, fast until now, the hard work begins, homework (INAUDIBLE).
WATT: Nic Robertson, thank you so much from Brussels.
Now, meantime, in the United Kingdom, British voters are showing their displeasure with Boris Johnson. Conservative Party candidates lost in two by-elections. And in both cases, the final tally wasn't even close.
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WATT: How much longer can Britain's Boris Johnson bumble on in number 10? Already riddled by scandals, Johnson's ruling Conservative Party just suffered two embarrassing election defeats, both by-elections, to select new MPs to replace two Tories, one who had been caught watching porn in parliament, the other was convicted of sex offenses.
Labour took the Wakefield seat by a 12-percenbt margin and a liberal Democrat won in Tiverton and Honiton by a whopping margin. A short time ago, the chairman of the Conservative Party informed the prime minister he was stepping down over the poor results.
CNN's Nada Bashir is following all of this from London. Listen, Boris Johnson has survived a lot. Could this finally be the end?
NADA BASHIR, CNN JOURNALIST AND PRODUCER: Well, that is certainly the question on many people's minds over this election results, a significant double blow not only to the Conservative Party but directly to Prime Minister Boris Johnson, all in one night.
As you mentioned there, the northern constituency of Wakefield, traditionally a Labour seat, but they lost that seat to the conservatives back in 2019. That's the first time in nearly 90 years. So, it is a significant victory for the Labour Party, 12% as you mentioned.
Tiverton and Honiton, traditionally a conservative state, that has now been won by the liberal Democrats. That is a significant loss for the Conservative Party. They previously had a majority of more of 24,000 votes, so a significant loss there for Boris Johnson.
At the forefront of many voters' minds, of course, has been the cost of living crisis, but it has been, of course, difficult to ignore the numerous scandals that Boris Johnson and his party have been wrapped up in, directly implicated in the party gate scandal, allegations of (INAUDIBLE) within the Conservative Party.
And as we heard from party Labour and liberal Democratic candidates, this was typically a key concern for constituents as they discuss these matters at the moment, also during the campaign trail. And we heard from both the Labour and liberal Democrats during their victory speeches in the early hours of this morning -- they're describing this as a message to Boris Johnson that it is time for him to consider stepping down. Take a listen.
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RICHARD FOORD, WINNING LIBERAL DEMOCRAT CANDIDATE: There is no mistaking the fact that Boris Johnson was a theme (ph) that came up on every doorstep almost, and I think there is a real feeling now that he has overstayed his welcome. Tonight's result indicates that it would be a real mistake for the conservatives to retain Boris Johnson as their leader and it could be electoral (ph) suicide for them.
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[02:25:00]
BASHIR: Now, really the key question is, what impact, what effect this was have on Boris Johnson and on his leadership? We've heard from numerous conservative MPs expressing concern over the Conservative Party's prospects in the next general elections which could take place around 2024. The question is to whether he will resign though is still a mystery.
We've already seen one resignation early hours this morning from the Conservative Party chairman. Let me just read you a little bit from his resignation letter. He said, yesterday's parliamentary by- elections are the latest in a run of very poor result for our party. Our supporters are distressed and disappointed by recent events, and I share their feelings. Somebody must take responsibility, and I have concluded that in these circumstances, it would not be right for me to remain in office.
Now, Boris Johnson was asked yesterday whether he would consider stepping down if the Conservative Party were to lose those two key seats. His response, are you crazy? He said it was typical for the government in office to lose by elections, to not be able to win back those seats, particularly when it comes to those midterm votes. So, he isn't considering stepping down.
We've already seen that vote of confidence earlier this month. He won that vote of confidence, although the significant share of his own MPs voted him out. Typically, the prime minister would be immune from the sort of vote for further 12 months afterwards. We also heard from the chairman of the 1922 Committee around that vote of confidence. He said that there is the possibility for such laws to be changed. There are still growing questions around the prime minister's position. Nick?
WATT: Nasa Bashir in London, thank you very much for bringing us up to speed on the latest Boris Johnson situation. Appreciate it.
Now, humanitarian agencies are scrambling to get aid to a remote area of Afghanistan. Coming up, we'll have a live report on the earthquake that devastated parts of the nation, leaving more than a thousand people dead.
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WATT: It is two days now since a powerful earthquake devastated parts of Afghanistan, killing more than a thousand people. Rescue workers are now struggling to reach survivors and humanitarian agencies trying to get aid into the area. Many of the devastated villagers are remote and difficult to reach. As journalist Atika Shubert reports, more aid is desperately needed.
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ATIKA SHUBERT, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): Survivors dig mass graves as the death toll continues to climb in Afghanistan.
[02:30:00]
Thousands of homes destroyed, survivors desperately need shelter, food, and clean water. That helicopter is the only way to access many of the affected areas. But few roads exist have been damaged by the earthquake or landslides. The International Red Cross is one of the few international aid agencies that remained in Afghanistan after the Taliban took control last year.
LUCIEN CHRISTEN, ICRC AFGHANISTAN SPOKESPERSON: What we have done so far is sending medical supply to three hospitals in Paktika, Oregon, and Paktia, which are the provinces the most affected by the earthquake and where the health centers are currently receiving a lot of patients.
SHUBERT: Adding to the danger, landmines. The earthquake may have shifted and exposed unexploded ordinances. This year alone, the ICRC has already treated more than 800 victims of weapons contamination this year, many of those victims children.
CHRISTEN: So it's a reality on daily basis for Afghans now when you have a situation of a catastrophe, which is a bit of a catastrophe within the catastrophe, of course, it's an additional risk.
SHUBERT: Countries in the region are mobilizing help. The Turkish Red Crescent has a team on the ground providing food aid and the UN says Turkey is best positioned to help with rescue efforts but more is needed. For Afghan struggling to survive one catastrophe after another, help can't come soon enough. Atika Schubert for CNN in Istanbul.
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NICK WATT, CNN ANCHOR: There is much more to come here on CNN including reaction to Myanmar's deposed leader being put in solitary confinement ahead of her trial. We'll have the latest in a live report.
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WATT: Returning now to a story we touched on just a few minutes ago, rescue workers now struggling to reach survivors following that deadly earthquake in Afghanistan. At least 1000 people have died. Let's turn now to Sam Mort. She is the chief of communication advocacy and civic engagement with UNICEF. She is in Kabul. Sam, I've just been reading your latest report, 1,036 deaths confirmed so far. Do we expect that number to rise both with people killed by the earthquake and perhaps people who might die as a result of the situation that's unfolding right now?
SAM MORT, CHIEF COMMUNICATION ADVOCACY AND CIVIC ENGAGEMENT, UNICEF: We're definitely concerned that that figure will rise mostly because there are some communities that we haven't been able to reach yet. It's a very remote rural and mountainous region. We've been hampered by rain in recent days that's caused landslides on some roads so we know that we haven't reached everyone yet.
[02:35:01]
MORT: And we also know that in districts such as Gayan in Paktika where 70 percent of the homes were destroyed, there's Rubble that we still haven't asked everyone. We fear that there are people still trapped underneath that because the earthquake happened at 1:30 in the morning when people were sleeping. So yes, we fear that number will rise.
WATT: And in terms of how this rescue recovery operation is being organized, is the Taliban capable of mounting this kind of recovery effort? And also, how is the collaboration between the Taliban and foreign aid agencies, such as yourself? Is that running smoothly?
MORT: Look, the de facto authorities undoubtedly have a limited capacity, but they were quick off the mark. And on the morning of the earthquake very early, they reached out to UNICEF and other UN agencies for support with the response. In particular, they wanted our teams to complement their teams in assessing the needs in the affected community, so we've been doing that together. And we're working together in a coordinated way to now plan what the next phase of the response will be. So far, all partners are working well together productively and I think the speed at which everyone has worked has saved lives.
WATT: And what are your concerns now moving forward through the next few days? I mean, is it the lack of food and water, or disease? I mean, what are the issues you're facing now? MORT: All of these things. Of course, we still need to excavate all this rubble. We don't have any sophisticated equipment. It's a very slow and painstaking process. We need to tend to the injured. We know that the health clinics and hospitals nearby are overwhelmed. There's two, three people to a bed, there's people being treated on the floor, so we need to get the injured first aid.
We need to get the people who've lost their homes, shelter, first and foremost. We need to get food and water into the area. We already are concerned about the spread of acute watery diarrhea because the water and sanitation systems have been destroyed. And we're extremely anxious here at UNICEF about the impact of this on children. So we're getting our top protection services up there and trying to look after the psychosocial needs of children who are deeply traumatized. We're hearing stories of children who've lost their families. And, of course, this is against the backdrop of a huge humanitarian crisis already in Afghanistan.
WATT: And you touched on this in your first answer, but could you explain to us a little bit more about what kind of area this earthquake struck? I mean, very few roads and a few roads that there are destroyed. I mean, this is a very hard area to get to, correct?
MORT: Absolutely. I mean, UNICEF's four-by-four armored vehicles are having difficulty navigating the tracks and the roads that they've been overwhelmed by rain and mud. There is a lot of airlifting going on that seems to be the fastest and most efficient way to get aid into this very remote, rural, and mountainous area. It's a very impoverished area as well. The people here live very simple lives. Part of the difficulty here has been that a lot of the homes are made just of simple mud bricks, and they've collapsed very, very easily. So it's difficult to reach the people underneath the rubble.
WATT: And so -- I mean, here, we're talking about an immediate rescue recovery effort but we're also talking about perhaps years of trying to rebuild these communities.
MORT: Absolutely. I mean, the first 72 hours after a crisis is absolutely critical. But beyond that, we need to think about the people who've lost their homes, their farms, their livelihoods, and whole communities have been divested. You know, in Gayan as I said, 70 percent of the homes have been destroyed. So it's a very long-term rebuild that we're looking at, and we're going to need the support of the international community.
WATT: Sam Mort in Kabul, thank you so much for your time, and stay safe.
MORT: Thank you.
WATT: Now, if you would like to safely and securely help those impacted by the quake who may be in need of shelter, food, and water, please go to cnn.com/impact. You'll find several ways that you can help.
There is condemnation from human rights organizations and aid agencies after Myanmar's military junta transferred former leader Aung San Suu Kyi to solitary confinement. The 77-year-old Nobel laureate has been under house arrest since a coup last year.
[02:40:02]
WATT: Early Thursday, she was moved to "separate confinement" in prison to await her upcoming trial. For more, we are joined by Will Ripley live from Singapore. Will, talk me through the significance of this change in her custody status.
WILL RIPLEY, CNN SENIOR INTERNATIONAL CORRESPONDENT: Well, it shows that the conditions under which she's being held are going to dramatically worsen. She was under house arrest, as you mentioned. She had several domestic servants with her along with her dogs. So even though she was not allowed freedom of movement, she was able to interact with other people and she was able to at least have some of the comforts of home during these many long months in detention, awaiting trial on charges that continue to be piled up, charges that are questionable at best. According to observers, these latest charges, which include corruption, on top of those that she's already been tried and sentenced for, a total of 11 years that she's been sentenced so far, and could be up to 150 years if you add together all of these new charges that are being thrown at her.
This observer's belief is a deliberate attempt to intimidate supporters of the pro-democracy movement in Myanmar. The military junta has already taken into custody, some 14,000 pro-democracy activists, and even their children and their family members, you know, being held in custody. Right now, a lot of people in the country are at grave risk of death from disease or malnourishment. I mean, truly the situation inside Myanmar according to those who are on the ground, it continues to deteriorate.
And the military junta which is deeply unpopular, which lost in a real election and therefore has basically called that election fraudulent and is trying to, you know, rebuild the system in their favor to allow the officials who themselves are believed to be corrupt or receiving bribes. Having so much money tied up in the old way, the old system that they can't accept a democratic system in which they're not in power. You now have -- you know how they -- have been desperately trying to cling to control, despite uprisings popping up across the country.
So, Aung Suu San Kyi, who just turned 77 on Sunday and had a birthday cake with her lawyers, is now sitting in a single cell, and supposedly is entering this new phase of her confinement calmly. You know, she's been through -- she's been through months, both in and out of prisons and many years of detention under the previous military regime, and she's now doing it again, Nick. But it's certainly -- it's absolutely horrifying to those who are looking at that in the country thinking of her situation personally, but also knowing that her plight is shared by thousands and thousands of others who are being held right now in similar conditions on charges that are believed to be similarly trumped-up if you will.
WATT: Will Ripley live in Singapore for us, thank you very much for your time. I am Nick Watt. WORLD SPORT is next. And I'll be back with more CNN NEWSROOM in about 15 minutes from now. This is CNN
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