April, 11 2018, 11:30am EDT
For Immediate Release
Contact:
AIUSA media office,Email:,media@aiusa.org,Phone: 202-544-0200 x302
Myanmar: Case Against Reuters Journalists Upheld as Media Restrictions Intensify
Responding to the decision by a Myanmar court to press forward with the criminal case against Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific said:
"This appalling but wholly unsurprising decision is entirely in keeping with Myanmar's continued regression on freedom of expression and human rights in general.
WASHINGTON
Responding to the decision by a Myanmar court to press forward with the criminal case against Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, James Gomez, Amnesty International's Director for Southeast Asia and the Pacific said:
"This appalling but wholly unsurprising decision is entirely in keeping with Myanmar's continued regression on freedom of expression and human rights in general.
"The case against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo is clearly politically-motivated and completely baseless. They are languishing behind bars simply because of their peaceful journalism and investigating the atrocities committed against the Rohingya people by Myanmar's own security forces in Rakhine State.
"The decision to press forward with this case sends a clear message to journalists operating in the country that certain topics remain off-limits, with dire consequences for those who dare address them, however peacefully. There has been an alarming erosion in press freedom in Myanmar where media workers continue to face threats, intimidation and even jail time simply for doing their jobs. This has to change. Press freedom, and freedom of expression in general, has to be protected and that must begin with the immediate and unconditional release of both men."
Background
Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested in Yangon, Myanmar's main city on 12 December 2017. The two journalists had been investigating the recent military operations in Rakhine State at the time of their arrest. They were held incommunicado for two weeks. The pair are being investigated for breaching Myanmar's Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.
This statement can be found online at https://www.amnestyusa.org/press-releases/myanmar-case-against-reuters-journalists-upheld-as-media-restrictions-intensify/
Amnesty International is a global movement of millions of people demanding human rights for all people - no matter who they are or where they are. We are the world's largest grassroots human rights organization.
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California Leaders Push Back on 'Masked Abductions' by ICE, CBP
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As U.S. President Donald Trump's "mass deportation" crusade continues, a mayor in Los Angeles County is calling on his city's police department to intervene, citing what he described as increasingly lawless conduct by federal immigration officers.
Arturo Flores, the mayor of Huntington Park, issued a statement on Saturday condemning what he called "masked abductions" by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), which has spent the past month raiding workplaces, farms, and homes as part of the Trump administration's efforts to ramp up the deportation campaign.
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Flores formally ordered the Huntington Park Police Department "to begin verifying the identities and authority of any individuals conducting such operations within city limits" and to enforce vehicle codes requiring cars to have visible license plates and agency markings.
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In response to the attack on Barranco and others like it, two Bay Area legislators, state Sens. Scott Wiener (D-11) and Jesse Arreguín (D-7), introduced a bill on Monday that would require law enforcement at all levels, including federal, to identify themselves and bar them from wearing masks.
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Iran fires ballistic missiles at US military bases in Qatar.Explosions seen over Doha.The US deployed THAAD systems in Qatar in anticipation of Iranian attacks.
[image or embed]
— Adam Schwarz (@adamjschwarz.bsky.social) June 23, 2025 at 9:48 AM
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An announcement on Iranian state media called the attack "a mighty and successful response by the armed forces of Iran to America's aggression."
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The New York Times reported that Iran warned the U.S. of the imminent attack. Iran's apparently symbolic retaliation was similar to Tehran's response to the 2020 Trump-ordered assassination of IRGC commander Qasem Soleimani and likely meant to give both sides a deescalatory offramp, experts said.
The Qatari Ministry of Defense said the country's air defenses "successfully intercepted a missile attack targeting al-Udeid Air Base."
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