Supreme Court of Myanmar has on Tuesday again rejected the latest appeal of jailed Reuters reporters, who were jailed over charges of international reporting on the Rohingya Muslims crisis.
According to Dawn news reports, under the judicial system of Myanmar, the detained journalists could make their appeal to the Supreme Court twice more, but however, it was still unclear whether they will opt this option or will focus all of their hopes over a pardon.
This time, the journalists weren’t at the Supreme Court in Myanmar’s capital Naypyidaw to hear the ruling against them.
Journalists Wa Lone, 33, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, were behind the bars since they were arrested in December 2017 under the Official Secrets Act.
“Our appeal was rejected,” Khin Maung Zaw told AFP. “They upheld the ruling of the lower court.”
Myanmar’s military has insisted that the brutal campaign occurred in Rakhine state was justified as means to root out Rohingya migrants. But, however, armed forces involved in that massacre was probed by two Reuters reporters that were jailed.
Human rights groups, including legal experts, have said the case lodged against those two Reuters was misconduct with irregularities.
Following Tuesday’s ruling, in an official statement, Reuters Chief Counsel Gail Gove said, “Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo did not commit any crime, nor was there any proof that they did.”
“Instead, they were victims of a police set-up to silence their truthful reporting. We will continue to do all we can to free them as soon as possible.”
Tuesday’s ruling has prompted strong criticism from human rights groups, the United States and the United Nations.