Bangkok: A court in military-ruled Myanmar sentenced those detained on Friday American journalist danny Window 11 years in prison after pleading guilty to a number of charges, including abetment to allegedly spreading false or inflammatory information.
Fenster, the managing editor of the online magazine Frontier Myanmar, was also found guilty of contacting illegal organizations and violating visa rules, said lawyer Than Jaw Aung.
Fenster has been detained since May. He still faces two additional charges in a separate court, for allegedly violating an anti-terrorism law and a statute covering sedition and sedition.
Fenster was detained at Yangon International Airport on May 24 as he was about to fly to the Detroit area in the United States to see his family.
He is the only foreign journalist to have been convicted of a serious crime since the military seized power in February to oust the elected government. Aung San Suu Kyi,
The army-founded government has hit hard at press freedom, closing almost all important outlets and arresting nearly 100 journalists, about 30 of whom are in jail. Some closed outlets have continued to operate without a license, publishing online as their staff members evade arrest.
The army’s takeover was met with widespread peaceful protests that were suppressed with deadly force. The Aid Association for Political Prisoners details the deaths of more than 1,200 civilians in addition to nearly 10,000 arrests. Armed resistance has spread since then, and UN experts and other observers fear the initial insurgency could turn into a civil war.
Fenster’s next challenge is two additional charges that his lawyer said on Monday were filed in a separate court in Yangon.
Than Jae Aung said one of the new charges falls under a section of the Anti-Terrorism Act that carries sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. The military-founded government has said it will strictly enforce the law in cases involving opposition organizations it deems “terrorists”.
The other charge under the Penal Code is commonly referred to as sedition or sedition, and carries a sentence of seven to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The original three charges have been heard in court at Insen Prison in Yangon, where Fenster is in prison. They were closed to the press and the public. An account of the proceedings comes from Fenster’s attorney.
Fenster, the managing editor of the online magazine Frontier Myanmar, was also found guilty of contacting illegal organizations and violating visa rules, said lawyer Than Jaw Aung.
Fenster has been detained since May. He still faces two additional charges in a separate court, for allegedly violating an anti-terrorism law and a statute covering sedition and sedition.
Fenster was detained at Yangon International Airport on May 24 as he was about to fly to the Detroit area in the United States to see his family.
He is the only foreign journalist to have been convicted of a serious crime since the military seized power in February to oust the elected government. Aung San Suu Kyi,
The army-founded government has hit hard at press freedom, closing almost all important outlets and arresting nearly 100 journalists, about 30 of whom are in jail. Some closed outlets have continued to operate without a license, publishing online as their staff members evade arrest.
The army’s takeover was met with widespread peaceful protests that were suppressed with deadly force. The Aid Association for Political Prisoners details the deaths of more than 1,200 civilians in addition to nearly 10,000 arrests. Armed resistance has spread since then, and UN experts and other observers fear the initial insurgency could turn into a civil war.
Fenster’s next challenge is two additional charges that his lawyer said on Monday were filed in a separate court in Yangon.
Than Jae Aung said one of the new charges falls under a section of the Anti-Terrorism Act that carries sentences ranging from 10 years to life imprisonment. The military-founded government has said it will strictly enforce the law in cases involving opposition organizations it deems “terrorists”.
The other charge under the Penal Code is commonly referred to as sedition or sedition, and carries a sentence of seven to 20 years’ imprisonment.
The original three charges have been heard in court at Insen Prison in Yangon, where Fenster is in prison. They were closed to the press and the public. An account of the proceedings comes from Fenster’s attorney.
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