American journalist Danny Fenster, who spent nearly six months in prison military ruled myanmar and a. was facing 11 years hard labor sentence, was released on Monday and is going home.
Fenster was handed over to former US diplomat Bill Richardson, who helped negotiate the release, and the two moved out of the Southeast Asian country together. Hours later, they landed in Doha, Qatar.
Fenster, the managing editor of the online magazine Frontier Myanmar, was convicted on Friday of spreading false or inflammatory information, contacting illegal organizations and violating visa rules. He is one of more than 100 journalists, media executives or publishers who have been detained since the military ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in February, their most ever. There was a harsh punishment.
Very happy: Danny Fenster’s family
“This is the day you hope will come when you do this work,” Richardson, the former governor of New Mexico and former ambassador to the United Nations, said in a statement emailed by his office. “We are so grateful that Danny will finally be able to be reunited with his loved ones, who are advocating for him at this time against the overwhelming odds.”
According to the statement, Fenster will return to the US via Qatar in the next day and a half. He has been in custody since his arrest at Yangon International Airport on May 24 as he was on his way to the Detroit area to see his family.
“We are delighted that Danny has been released and is on his way home – we can’t wait to hold him in our arms,” his family said in a statement. “We are deeply grateful to all those who have helped secure his release, particularly Ambassador Richardson, as well as our friends and the public who have expressed their support and stood by our side during these long and difficult months. are.”
What was Danny Fenster in prison for?
It was unclear exactly what Fenster was accused of doing, but most of the prosecution’s case rested on proving that he was employed by another online news site that the military seized during a crackdown on media this year. After that the order to close was given. Power. Fenster used to work for the site but left the job last year.
Journalists detained in Myanmar
According to the United Nations, the military has detained at least 126 journalists, media executives or publishers since the takeover and 47 remain in custody, though not all of them have been charged.
Of the seven journalists who have been convicted, six are citizens of Myanmar and four were released in a mass amnesty in October.
put in reactions
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said in a statement, using an old name for the country, “We welcome the release of American journalist Daniel Fenster from a prison in Burma, where he was wrongfully detained for nearly six months.” had gone.” “We are delighted that Danny will be reunited with his family soon as we continue to call for the release of others unjustly imprisoned in Burma.”
We welcome the release of American journalist Danny Fenster from prison in Burma. We continue to demand the release of others unjustly imprisoned in Burma. https://t.co/2DCxm8j83i
— Secretary Antony Blinken (@SecBlinken) November 15, 2021
Thomas Keane, editor-in-chief of Frontier Myanmar, echoed those sentiments.
“Danny is one of many journalists in Myanmar who have been unjustly arrested for doing their job since the coup in February,” he said.
What did the Myanmar army say?
In a statement broadcast on state TV, the military said Fenster was released at the request of Richardson and the president of the Japan-Myanmar Friendship Association. Japan, unlike the United States and the European Union, does not take a publicly confrontational stance with the military-installed government, and wants to see better relations between Myanmar and the West.
“The Burmese generals were convinced that hanging Danny was not worth it,” U.S. Representative Andy Levine from Michigan told Detroit radio station WWJ. “He was innocent and that was just an annoyance to them. If they kept him and something actually happened to him, we would never forget it. We will never forgive them.”
Who is behind the release?
Richardson said he discussed Fenster’s release during a recent visit to Myanmar, when he held one-on-one talks with the country’s ruler, Senior General Min Aung Huling.
Richardson is known to have traveled to countries with which Washington has poor relations, if any, such as North Korea – to seek the freedom of detained Americans. Recently he has been involved in the demand for freedom for American citizens detained in Venezuela.
She also has a long history of involvement with Myanmar, when as a member of the US Congress in 1994 she met Suu Kyi at her home, where she was under house arrest on the orders of the previous military government.
In an interview with the Associated Press following his most recent visit to Myanmar, Richardson said his talks focused on facilitating humanitarian aid to the country, particularly the provision of COVID-19 vaccines. That mission also resulted in the release from prison of Ai Mo, a young woman who worked for Richardson’s center on women’s empowerment issues.
Asked by the AP whether Fenster’s release is expected, he replied: “There’s always hope. Don’t ask anymore.”
‘Fake allegation’
Sean Crispin, Southeast Asia’s representative for the Committee to Protect Journalists, said Fenster “should never have been jailed or sentenced on false charges in the first place.”
“Myanmar’s military regime must stop using journalists as pawns in its cynical games and release all other journalists who are still behind bars on false charges,” Crispin said.
During Fenster’s trial, prosecution witnesses testified that they were informed by a letter from the Ministry of Information that its records showed Fenster continued to be employed this year by the online news site Myanmar Now – One of dozens of outlets ordered closed in press action.
Both his former and current employers issued public statements that Fenster left Myanmar last year, and his lawyer said the defense’s testimony, as well as income tax receipts, established that he works for Frontier Myanmar. But without the testimony of a government official to this effect, the judge only took into account the letter from the Ministry of Information.
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