UPDATED AT 11:10 AM EST ON 9-15-22
A particular court docket in Myanmar on Thursday sentenced Htet Htet Khine, a former BBC tv presenter, to a few years in jail with laborious labor for “incitement” and “unlawful affiliation” for her reporting work, based on members of the family and her authorized staff.
The face of BBC Media Motion’s nationwide tv peace program Khan Sar Kyi (Really feel It) from 2016 to 2020, which documented the impression of battle on Myanmar society, the freelance journalist and video producer had been in detention in Yangon’s infamous Insein Jail awaiting trial since Aug. 15, 2021, when she was arrested with fellow reporter Sithu Aung Myint.
A lawyer representing Htet Htet Khine, who spoke on situation of anonymity citing safety issues, informed RFA Burmese that she accepted her sentence with little emotion on the conclusion of her trial within the jail courtroom on Thursday.
“She bravely confronted the case that was filed with none proof,” he mentioned.
“She was accused of inciting a state of affairs that was already below management. The order was handed down based mostly on the plaintiff’s testimony.”
The lawyer mentioned that his shopper is “in good well being” and “steady.”
A member of the family, who additionally declined to be named, informed RFA that Htet Htet Khine and Sithu Aung Myint have been “unjustly accused” and referred to as for the court docket to free them.
“I already anticipated this [outcome]. They have been wrongly arrested and I would like them to be launched as quickly as potential,” the member of the family mentioned.
“[The judges] unjustly sentenced her to a few years imprisonment.”
The member of the family additionally expressed concern over Htet Htet Khine’s well-being in jail.
“She has been in jail for greater than a yr now and I fear about her,” they mentioned.
“As a member of the family, I’m anxious about her well being as a result of inmates are extraordinarily susceptible to COVID-19.”
2021 arrest
Htet Htet Khine was arrested six months after the Feb. 1, 2021 army coup by junta safety forces together with freelance journalist Sithu Aung Myint whereas the 2 mentioned reporting work on the Shwe Gone Yeik Mon housing advanced in Yangon’s Bahan township.
BBC Media Motion Myanmar launched a press release on the time confirming her arrest and expressing concern for her security.
Sithu Aung Myint stays in detention awaiting trial on fees of “incitement” and “sedition,” for producing content material authorities say was vital of the army. He faces as much as three years in jail for the primary cost and as much as 20 for the second.
Sithu Aung Myint’s lawyer mentioned in April that the journalist and others had been denied entry to medical care by authorities whereas in custody.
In line with Detained Journalists Data Myanmar, a media watchdog group, at the very least 142 journalists have been arrested within the 19 months for the reason that coup, 95 of whom have been prosecuted below varied sections of the nation’s penal code.
The junta has beforehand denied focusing on journalists for his or her reporting work.
This story has been up to date to make clear that Htet Htet Khine was the face of the BBC Media Motion’s nationwide tv peace program Khan Sar Kyi.