2 Reuters journalists appeal against Myanmar verdict

YANGON, 05 Nov 2018 [Fik/News Sources]: An appeal has been filed for two Reuters journalists who were sentenced to long imprisonments in Myanmar for unraveling the atrocities, according to their lawyer on Monday.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were handed a seven-year sentence in September under a colonial-era law for allegedly breaching the Official Secrets Act as they investigated the murder of 10 Rohingya men in the western Rakhine state.

Defense lawyer Than Zaw Aung confirmed to Anadolu Agency that an appeal was filed against the conviction on Monday.

“The appeal was lodged because the ruling is unfair and wrong,” Aung told Anadolu Agency.

Reuters President and Editor-in-Chief, Stephen J. Adler said in a statement that the appeal cited evidence of a police set-up and lack of proof of a crime.

"In condemning them as spies, it ignored compelling evidence of a police set-up, serious due process violations, and the prosecution's failure to prove any of the key elements of the crime," Adler said.

He called on Myanmar to "uphold its stated dedication to rule of law, freedom of the press, and democracy by ordering the release of our colleagues."