US journalist imprisoned in Myanmar appears in special court charged with dissent against the military
- Danny Fenster, managing editor of the Frontier Myanmar news outlet, faces a three-year prison sentence and is being held in Yangon’s Insein Prison
- It was the first time Fenster had been seen or heard since he was detained in May. The US State Department said the US embassy was denied requests to see Fenster
An American journalist detained in Myanmar since May appeared on Thursday in a special court, his employers said, where he faces charges under a law that criminalises encouraging dissent against the military.
Danny Fenster, managing editor of the Frontier Myanmar news outlet, appeared in court “to face a charge under section 505-A of the Penal Code”, which carries a maximum three-year jail sentence, Frontier said in a statement.
He was later remanded to Yangon’s Insein Prison, it said, adding he was expected to appear again in court on July 1.
It was the first time Fenster had been seen or heard since he was detained in May.
“No reason was given for the filing of the charge against him,” the statement said.
The State Department said that the US embassy was denied requests to see Fenster.
“We urge the Burmese to grant consular access as required by the Vienna Convention on Consular Relations without delay and to ensure proper treatment of Danny while he remains detained,” State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters, using the country’s former name of Burma.