- An American journalist was freed from a
Myanmar prison three days after being sentenced to 11 years. - Danny Fenster was found guilty on charges including spreading false or inflammatory information.
Danny Fenster, an American journalist who was sentenced to 11 years in a Myanmar prison three days ago has now been released, according to New Mexico's governor and his employer.
Fenster was sentenced on Friday, in what the US State Department called "an unjust conviction of an innocent person."
He was found guilty of spreading false or inflammatory information, contacting illegal organizations, and violating visa rules, The Associated Press reported.
New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson tweeted on Monday that Fenster had been released.
-Richardson Center (@RichardsonCNTR) November 15, 2021
His office said: "Danny's release was secured following a private humanitarian visit by Governor Richardson to Myanmar and face-to-face negotiations with General Min Aung Hlaing, Myanmar's Commander-in-Chief."
Fenster is the managing editor of online magazine Frontier Myanmar.
Thomas Kean, the editor-in-chief of Frontier, said in a statement, according to Reuters: "We are relieved that Danny is finally out of prison - somewhere he never should have been in the first place.
"But we also recognize Danny is one of many journalists in Myanmar who have been unjustly arrested simply for doing their job since the February coup."
Fenster was arrested in May as he tried to leave Myanmar.
Myanmar is currently under military rule after a coup in February.