[JURIST] Myanmar's Supreme Court has agreed to consider an appeal by opposition pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi [BBC profile; JURIST news archive] against the 18-month extension of her house arrest, officials said Friday. Suu Kyi's lawyers filed the appeal last month after a lower court rejected [JURIST reports] an earlier appeal. A judge will hold a preliminary hearing [NYT report] on December 21 to decide whether the appeal will be considered by the full court. If the judge rejects her appeal at that point, Suu Kyi may request a special leave to appeal, which would be heard by the chief justice.

The extension of Suu Kyi's house arrest stems from an August conviction [JURIST report] for violating state security laws by allowing American John Yettaw to stay in her home after he swam across a lake to get there. Yettaw, who was sentenced to seven years in prison with four years of hard labor, was released [JURIST report] in August after negotiations with US Senator Jim Webb (D-VA). Suu Kyi has spent 14 of the last 20 years in detention, and her latest conviction has been condemned [BBC report] by many world leaders and has given rise to international sanctions [JURIST report] against Myanmar's junta and members of the judiciary.