Indonesian journalists slam Reuters reporters’ verdict

ANKARA (AA) – The Alliance of Independent Journalists Indonesia (AJI) on Tuesday condemned Myanmar after a court sentenced two Reuters journalists to seven years in jail.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, are charged with breaching the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison during the investigation into the murder of 10 Rohingya men in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state.

According to a statement by AJI, the two journalists had been working on stories about military crackdowns in the Rakhine state.

“The verdict is a serious threat to press freedom, a bad precedent and a major setback for Myanmar's democracy,” the AJI statement read.

It said, “AJI believed it is important for Myanmar and other Southeast Asian countries to have a press freedom and freedom of speech, which will encourage transparency and accountability within the government.”

AJI called on Myanmar authorities to respect the rights of the journalists in “carrying out their professional work, including their freedom of expression.”

The alliance also offered its support to both the journalists and to Reuters.

“We called organizations and individuals in various regions to support both Reuters journalists as a part of collective actions to preserve press freedom in southeast Asia,” it added.

ALATURKA AİLESİ ÜYELERİ NE DİYOR?