Myanmar accuses US journalist of “terrorism” and “sedition” Press Freedom News

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In addition to the three charges Danny Fenster faces in the latest charges, he could be seen jailed for life.
A U.S. journalist arrested in Myanmar has been charged with terrorism and sedition, and could face life in prison if convicted, according to his lawyer.
Danny Fenster, who was arrested as he was leaving the country in May, was charged with two new charges under the Anti-Terrorism Act and the Myanmar Penal Code, lawyer Than Zaw Aung said on Tuesday.
The anti-terrorism law criminalizes relations with officially designated “terrorist” groups and carries a prison sentence of three to seven years.
124.A. of the Penal Code. another indictment under the article is commonly referred to as treason and carries a prison sentence of between seven and 20 years.
New charges against the 37-year-old Fenster have met and arrived in the capital Naypyidaw with Bill Richardson, a former U.S. diplomat and hostage negotiator Min Aung Hlaing. Min Aung Hlaing seized power in a coup on February 1, and arrested Aung San Suu Kyi and senior government officials.
Fenster, the managing editor of the Yangon-based Frontier Myanmar magazine, is already on trial for promoting anti-military dissent, accused of violating illegal associations and immigration law.
His trial is closed to the press and the public, and details have only been passed on to his lawyers.
It is unclear what exactly he is accused of doing, despite the testimony of several prosecution witnesses.
The prosecution ruled Monday that the prosecution had provided sufficient evidence to continue the trial.
So far, it appears that the prosecution is trying to link Fenster to an as yet unspecified crime allegedly committed by his former employer, Myanmar Now online news services.
The latest prosecution witnesses said the Ministry of Information records Fenster was still working in Myanmar Now when he was arrested.
But Myanmar Now and its current employer, Frontier Myanmar, left their first job in July last year and joined the company last month.
Fenster’s lawyer told The Associated Press news agency that he had submitted documents and other evidence to the court to prove that Fenster Frontier is a Myanmar employee.
The first three cases of Fenster are being heard in another court in Yangon from where the new charges have been filed.
Myanmar has been in turmoil since the coup.
More than 1,200 people have been killed by security forces in their crackdown on dissent, according to a local monitoring group.
The press has also tightened as the military is trying to tighten control over the flow of information, suppress Internet access and revoke local media licenses.
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