Danny Fenster was sentenced on several charges, including incitement for allegedly spreading false or inflammatory information. He is the first Western journalist to be jailed in Myanmar in years.
Calls have grown for Danny Fenster's release in Myanmar
A Myanmar junta court sentenced an American journalist to 11 years in prison on Friday. He was found guilty on several charges, including incitement for allegedly spreading false or inflammatory information.
Danny Fenster, the managing editor of the independent news publication Frontier Myanmar, had been detained since May. His lawyer Than Zaw Aung said he was also found guilty of contacting illegal organizations and violating visa regulations.
"Everyone at Frontier is disappointed and frustrated at this decision. We just want to see Danny released as soon as possible so he can go home to his family," Editor-in-Chief Thomas Kean said in a statement.
Fenster had been arrested at Yangon International Airport on May 24 as he was going to Detroit to visit his family. He has been held in Yangon's Insein prison since then.
Danny Fenster
Why was Danny Fenster sentenced?
Since the military junta overthrew the elected government, Fenster is the only foreign journalist to face serious charges. The sentencing was based on "evidence" from the Information Ministry.
The evidence showed that at the time of arrest, he had been working at a local outlet, Myanmar Now, which had its license revoked shortly after the coup.
"There is absolutely no basis to convict Danny of these charges. His legal team clearly demonstrated to the court that he had resigned from Myanmar Now and was working for Frontierfrom the middle of last year," said the statement from his employer.
Fenster also faces two additional charges at another court in Yangon.
Myanmar's military rulers have shut down several independent media outlets. More than 100 journalists have been arrested, with 30 still in prison.
The Committee to Protect Journalists rights group said in a report in July that Myanmar's rulers had effectively criminalized independent journalism.
More than 1,200 civilians have been killed in protests against the junta, according to an estimate by rights groups. About 10,000 have been arrested, and thousands have fled the country.
Myanmar junta court sentences detained US journalist to 11 years
AFP 12/11/2021
A Myanmar junta court on Friday sentenced an American journalist to 11 years in prison on charges of unlawful association, incitement against the military and breaching visa rules, his employer said.
The military has squeezed the press since taking power in a February coup, arresting dozens of journalists critical of its crackdown on dissent, which has killed over 1,200 people according to a local monitoring group.
Danny Fenster, who had been working for local outlet Frontier Myanmar for around a year, was arrested in May as he tried to leave the country to see his family.
"Frontier Myanmar is deeply disappointed at the decision today to convict its Managing Editor, Danny Fenster, on three charges and impose prison sentences totalling 11 years," the outlet said in a statement.
Fenster, who has been held in Yangon's Insein prison since he was detained, also faces charges of sedition and terrorism, which could see him jailed for life.
"Everyone at Frontier is disappointed and frustrated at this decision," Frontier Myanmar said.
"We just want to see Danny released as soon as possible so he can go home to his family."
AFP 12/11/2021
A Myanmar junta court on Friday sentenced an American journalist to 11 years in prison on charges of unlawful association, incitement against the military and breaching visa rules, his employer said.
The military has squeezed the press since taking power in a February coup, arresting dozens of journalists critical of its crackdown on dissent, which has killed over 1,200 people according to a local monitoring group.
Danny Fenster, who had been working for local outlet Frontier Myanmar for around a year, was arrested in May as he tried to leave the country to see his family.
"Frontier Myanmar is deeply disappointed at the decision today to convict its Managing Editor, Danny Fenster, on three charges and impose prison sentences totalling 11 years," the outlet said in a statement.
Fenster, who has been held in Yangon's Insein prison since he was detained, also faces charges of sedition and terrorism, which could see him jailed for life.
"Everyone at Frontier is disappointed and frustrated at this decision," Frontier Myanmar said.
"We just want to see Danny released as soon as possible so he can go home to his family."
'Outrageous'
Crisis Group Myanmar senior advisor Richard Horsey described the sentence as "outrageous".
"It sends a message not only to international journalists... but also Myanmar journalists that reporting factually on the situation is liable to get them many many years in prison," he told AFP.
He noted US diplomats were working to get him released.
"It will be resolved through diplomatic channels and hopefully very quickly," he said.
"But obviously this sentence is a big setback to US efforts."
The sentencing comes days after former US diplomat and hostage negotiator Bill Richardson met junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyidaw, handing the increasingly isolated junta some rare publicity.
Richardson, declining to give further details, said the US State Department asked him not to raise Fenster's case during his visit.
Myanmar has been mired in chaos since a February coup, with the military trying to crush widespread democracy protests and stamp out dissent.
More than 1,200 people have been killed by security forces, according to a local monitoring group.
The press has also been squeezed as the junta tries to tighten control over the flow of information, throttling internet access and revoking the licences of local media outlets.
More than 100 journalists have been arrested since the putsch, according to Reporting ASEAN, a monitoring group. It says 31 are still in detention.
(AFP)
Crisis Group Myanmar senior advisor Richard Horsey described the sentence as "outrageous".
"It sends a message not only to international journalists... but also Myanmar journalists that reporting factually on the situation is liable to get them many many years in prison," he told AFP.
He noted US diplomats were working to get him released.
"It will be resolved through diplomatic channels and hopefully very quickly," he said.
"But obviously this sentence is a big setback to US efforts."
The sentencing comes days after former US diplomat and hostage negotiator Bill Richardson met junta chief Min Aung Hlaing in the capital Naypyidaw, handing the increasingly isolated junta some rare publicity.
Richardson, declining to give further details, said the US State Department asked him not to raise Fenster's case during his visit.
Myanmar has been mired in chaos since a February coup, with the military trying to crush widespread democracy protests and stamp out dissent.
More than 1,200 people have been killed by security forces, according to a local monitoring group.
The press has also been squeezed as the junta tries to tighten control over the flow of information, throttling internet access and revoking the licences of local media outlets.
More than 100 journalists have been arrested since the putsch, according to Reporting ASEAN, a monitoring group. It says 31 are still in detention.
(AFP)
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