This archive report was first published on 12 November 2021.
On November 12, 2021, American journalist Danny Fenster was found guilty of three charges in Myanmar and given an 11-year prison term, the maximum possible sentence.
Mr. Fenster, the managing editor of Frontier Myanmar magazine, was convicted of violating the Unlawful Association Act, Myanmar's immigration law, and disseminating information that could be harmful to the military.
Frontier Myanmar expressed disappointment at the decision, stating that the sentences imposed were the harshest possible under the law.
The State Department has repeatedly called for Mr. Fenster's release, and his lawyer has expressed bafflement at the charges of terrorism and sedition filed against him, which carry a maximum sentence of 20 years each.
Mr. Fenster was arrested on May 24, 2021, as he prepared to leave the country, and the charges against him were based on his previous employment at Myanmar Now, a news outlet reviled by the military.
Prosecutors mistakenly stated that Mr. Fenster still worked for Myanmar Now, although he had left the organization in July 2020.
Frontier Myanmar's editor-in-chief, Thomas Kean, stated that there was no basis to convict Mr. Fenster of the charges and that the legal team had demonstrated his resignation from Myanmar Now and his employment with Frontier.
