American journalist Danny Fenster has been sentenced to 11 years in prison in Myanmar after being found guilty on a range of charges previously described by the US government as “profoundly unjust”.
Myanmar’s military has squeezed the press since taking power in a February coup, arresting dozens of journalists critical of its crackdown on dissent that has killed more than 1,200 people, according to a local monitoring group.
Fenster, who had been managing editor of the online magazine Frontier Myanmar, was found guilty on Friday of incitement for allegedly spreading false or inflammatory information, contacting illegal organisations and violating visa regulations, his lawyer, Than Zaw Aung, said.
He still faces two additional charges in a different court for allegedly violating the counterterrorism law and a statute covering treason and sedition.
Fenster was arrested as he was heading home to see his family in Detroit in May. He has been held in Yangon’s Insein prison since.
The 37-year-old was initially charged with allegedly encouraging dissent against the military, unlawful association and breaching immigration law, before extra charges of sedition and terrorism were added two days ago.
The additional charges, which will be heard by a different court in Yangon, are punishable each by a maximum 20 years in prison.
Thomas Kean, Frontier Myanmar’s editor-in-chief, confirmed that Fenster had been sentenced.
“There is absolutely no basis to convict Danny of these charges,” he said. “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.”
When the new charges emerged, the US government urged Myanmar’s junta to immediately free Fenster.
“The profoundly unjust nature of Danny’s detention is plain for all the world to see,” a state department spokesperson said.
“The regime should take the prudent step of releasing him now. His continued detention is unacceptable. Journalism is not a crime.”
Phil Robertson, deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch, said Fenster’s jailing was outrageous and intended to send warning messages to the media and the US.
“The junta’s rationale for this outrageous, rights abusing sentence is first to shock and intimidate all remaining Burmese journalists inside Myanmar by punishing a foreign journalist this way,” he said.
“The second message is more strategic, focused on sending a message to the US that the Tatmadaw’s generals don’t appreciate being hit with economic sanctions and can bite back with hostage diplomacy.”