An American journalist, detained since May by the junta in Burma, was sentenced to 11 years in prison, his employer said on Friday. Myanmar border.
“Myanmar border is deeply disappointed with today’s decision to sentence its editor-in-chief Danny Fenster to prison terms totaling 11 years, ”the outlet said in a statement.
The journalist was prosecuted on three counts: incitement to dissent, illegal association, violation of immigration law.
In a separate proceeding, he is also charged with terrorism and sedition and faces life imprisonment.
Danny Fenster was arrested on May 24, almost four months after the military coup against former civilian leader Aung San Suu Kyi, at Yangon International Airport as he tried to leave the country.
Since then, he has been held at Insein prison in Rangoon with many political prisoners.
His trial is being held behind closed doors within the confines of the penitentiary establishment.
“His continued detention is unacceptable. Journalism is not a crime, ”a spokesperson for US diplomacy recently said.
Burma has sunk into chaos since the February 1 putsch that ended a 10-year democratic parenthesis.
The regime continues a bloody crackdown on its opponents with more than 1,250 civilians killed and more than 7,000 in detention, according to the Association for Assistance to Political Prisoners (AAPP), a local NGO that reports cases of torture, rape and extra-judicial executions.
The press is strangled by the junta, which tries to strengthen its control over information, limiting access to the internet and canceling media licenses.