[JURIST] Myanmar's Supreme Court on Friday dismissed the latest appeal by pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] against the extension of her house arrest. The court heard Suu Kyi's latest appeal [JURIST report] to the 18-month extension last month. Suu Kyi appealed to the supreme court in November after a lower court found her guilty [JURIST reports] of violating the terms of her house arrest when she allowed an American to stay with her after he swam across a lake to her home. Suu Kyi's lawyer, Nyan Win, said that he will file one final appeal [AP report] after learning the reasons for the court's decision. He has argued that the extension to Suu Kyi's arrest is based on provisions of the now-defunct 1974 constitution.

Suu Kyi's detention in her compound in Yangon will prohibit her from competing in this year's elections [BBC report] as a member of her National League for Democracy (NLD) [party website] party. Suu Kyi, who has been in prison or under house arrest for 14 of the past 20 years, will be released in November [JURIST report], according to a government official, likely after the elections have taken place. The Myanmar Supreme Court agreed to hear Suu Kyi's case in December after an unsuccessful October appeal [JURIST report] to the Divisional Court in Rangoon. In addition to rejecting the appeal, the lower court ruled that Suu Kyi herself would be barred [JURIST report] from attending the proceedings.