- Reporter Danny Fenster said he was happy to be free.
- He was sentenced to six months in prison in Myanmar.
- He was infected with Covid-19 in prison.
An American journalist who had been imprisoned by the military ruler of Myanmar for six months said after his shock and release that he tried to stay awake and worried that his ordeal would not end, while insisting that he should not be detained.
Danny Fenster was sentenced last week to 11 years in prison for incitement, illegal associations, and visa violations. He was released on Monday, just the day before he faces terror and sedition charges, which are likely to Put him in prison for life.
Watch | American journalist detained in Myanmar gets pardoned
The 37-year-old looked haggard. During his imprisonment, his hair and beard grew longer when he and former American diplomat Bill Richardson emerged from a jet plane in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
“I was arrested and detained for no reason… but I am in good health,” he told reporters at the airport.
He added:
I did not go hungry or beaten.
Coronavirus disease
The Myanmar military has suppressed the press since the coup came to power in February, arresting dozens of journalists criticizing its repressive actions. According to local monitoring organizations, the repressive actions have caused more than 1,200 deaths.
Fenster has been working for Frontier Myanmar, a local store in this Southeast Asian country for about a year, and was arrested while returning home to visit his family in May.
“I feel good physically. This is the same as any form of imprisonment. You are just a little crazy,” Fenster said.
“The longer it drags on, the more you worry that it will never end. So this is the biggest worry. Just stay awake.”
The family said during a conference call with American journalists in August that Fenster is believed to have contracted Covid-19 during his detention.
The United States, which has stated that Fenster was unjustly and wrongly detained, welcomed his release.
“I just spoke with the American journalist Danny Finster, who was released in Myanmar and is preparing to reunite with his family in the United States,” Secretary of State Anthony Brinken wrote on Twitter.
He added:
Looking forward to welcoming you home, Danny.
The military government stated that Fenster was pardoned and released on “humanitarian reasons”, ending the 176 days spent in colonial-era prisons, where many of Myanmar’s most famous dissidents were held.
Pardon and release
Richardson’s organization said in a statement that he was released after “face-to-face negotiations” with the military chief Min Aung Lai.
A report published on Tuesday by the Burmese state-run “Global New Light” stated that Fenster was pardoned and released to “maintain friendly relations between nations.”
Richardson visited Myanmar earlier this month, which was called a “private humanitarian mission.”
He said at the time that the US State Department had specifically asked him not to mention Finster’s case during his visit.
Danny Finster (left), an American journalist detained in Myanmar, got off the plane with former American diplomat Bill Richardson after arriving at Hamad International Airport in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Danny Finster, an American journalist detained in Myanmar, delivered a speech to the media after arriving at Hamad International Airport in Doha, the capital of Qatar.
Fenster’s father Buddy expressed relief after talking on the phone with his son, saying that “there is nothing that makes parents feel more sad than knowing that their child is in trouble and unable to help.”
“He has been sleeping on a wooden pallet for almost six months. He said:’There is a bed on the plane,’ I said, you know:’Danny, take a break, man, stretch things out on it.’ I’m very happy Hear the news,” Buddy said.
The military government stated that two Japanese envoys Hideo Watanabe and Yohei Sasakawa participated in the negotiations, but did not provide details.
“This is great news for all his friends and family,” said Andrew Nahemson, Finster’s colleague at the Myanmar border.
He added:
But of course he shouldn’t be in prison for six months… and all local journalists who are still imprisoned should also be released immediately.
According to the ASEAN monitoring organization report, more than 100 journalists have been arrested since the coup. It said at least 30 people are still in detention.
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