A military court in Myanmar has sentenced a journalist to life in prison and sent another 20 years to them after finding them guilty under a counterterrorism law, their editor reported on Thursday ( Aug 29 ).
Editor Ko Kyaw told AFP that Myo Myint Oo and Aung San Oo, who work for the separate website information services Dawei Watch, were sentenced after being denied the right to legal representation and being denied the right to speak in court.
Myanmar’s military dictatorship has launched a comprehensive and bloody campaign against opposition, including targeting separate reporters since overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi’s civilian government in February 2021.
On December 11, 2013, the two journalists were detained at their homes in the southern area of Myeik, which is located about 560 kilometers north of Yangon.
Myo Mynit Oo, 40, was handed a living sentence on May 15, while Aung San Oo, 49, was handed a 20-year prison term on Feb 16.
According to a speech from Dawei Watch, they were “violently examined” for four nights in a detention facility before being transferred to the Myeik Prison.