The following correction was printed in the Guardian's Corrections and clarifications column, Wednesday 29 July 2009

In the article below about the trial of the Burmese pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi we referred to the man who swam across a lake to her home, John Yettaw, as a US veteran of the Vietnam war – as widely reported in the United States. We should have made clear that this is a claim, so far unverified by the US military.

The trial of Burma's pro-democracy leader Aung San Suu Kyi has been adjourned until today for her defence lawyers to give their closing response before a verdict is delivered, possibly in two to three weeks.

The Nobel peace prize laureate is charged with breaking the terms of her house arrest by allowing an American man to spend two nights at her home in May. She faces up to five years in prison if found guilty.

Her lawyers were reportedly making last-ditch attempts to call Nyunt Maung Shein, Burma's former ambassador to the UN, to testify in court. They claim to have proof that he told the UN's human rights council that Aung San Suu Kyi was being "detained for her own security".

Her lawyer, Nyan Win, said: "We have asked the [Burma] foreign ministry to appear before the court with the necessary records in order to have a fair trial."

It appears that the defence will attempt to argue that if a government official confirmed she was detained, not under arrest, then she cannot be tried for allegedly breaking her detention order.

"It's not over yet – the defence will get another chance to respond to the prosecution's arguments," Nyan Win said.

The adjournment came as Amnesty International awarded Aung San Suu Kyi its highest accolade, the title of ambassador of conscience, for leading the democracy struggle in Burma. "Aung San Suu Kyi has remained a symbol of hope, courage and the undying defence of human rights, not only to the people of Myanmar but to people around the world," Amnesty's secretary general, Irene Khan, said in a statement.

The rock band U2 was due to announce the award at a concert in Dublin last night.

John Yettaw, a Vietnam veteran who was described by his wife as eccentric, said he swam across a lake to her home because he wanted to warn her that she was about to be assassinated by "terrorists."

Aung San Suu Kyi, who has been detained for 14 of the last 20 years, pleaded with Yettaw to leave and relented only after he claimed to be too ill to swim back.

Reports said Yettaw's lawyer was due to defend his client against charges of trespassing, which carries a sentence of up to three months in prison.

Khin Maung Oo said at the weekend that he would attempt to win Yettaw, 53, a lenient sentence. "I will try my best to defend my client. I will argue that he did not violate the restriction order and I will try my utmost to get him lesser punishment," he said.

Although the prosecution was expected to wrap up its case against the Nobel prize winner her lawyer said a verdict was not imminent. "I expect all the arguments will be made today but I think the verdict might take as long as two or three weeks," Nyan Win told Reuters.

He said his client was "preparing for the worst" at the end of a trial that the military junta's critics have denounced as an excuse to keep her incarcerated during national elections due next year. Statements were expected from Aung San Suu Kyi's longtime companions, Khin Khin Win and her daughter Win Ma Ma. The women, members of Suu Kyi's the National League for Democracy [(NLD]), also face up to five years in prison.

The NLD won a landslide victory in elections in 1990, but the ruling generals refused to recognise the result.

The junta has so far resisted international calls for Aung San Suu Kyi's immediate release. Last week, the state-controlled media accused the US secretary of state, Hillary Clinton, of "interference" after she said a satisfactory conclusion to the trial could lead to better economic ties with Washington.

The defence does not deny that Yettaw visited her compound, but argues that she cannot be charged under laws abolished in 1988. It blames her bodyguards for failing to apprehend Yettaw, who remained undetected for several hours.