On Monday 3 September, the spokesperson for the European External Action Service (EEAS) called for the release of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who have been sentenced to seven years in prison under the country's 1923 official secrets act for their investigation into allegations of serious human rights violations in Rakine State. They were arrested on 12 December 2017 (see EUROPE 11929).
"The prison sentences of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo should be reviewed and the two journalists be released immediately and unconditionally", the EEAS spokesperson stated in a press release.
The spokesperson said that the sentencing of the two journalists, which "undermines the freedom of the media, the public's right to information and the development of the rule of law in Myanmar", also serves "to intimidate other journalists who will fear harassment and undue arrest or prosecution for merely doing their jobs". The country's authorities should ensure adequate conditions for journalists to carry out their work, the EEAS spokesperson added.
The spokesperson stated that media freedom and critical journalism are essential pillars of democracy, and that a free press has a key function in promoting transparency and holding democratic governments to account. (Original version in French by Camille-Cerise Gessant)