Myanmar court sends filmmaker to prison for army remarks
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YANGON, Myanmar — A court in Myanmar has found a prominent filmmaker guilty of defaming the military with his postings on Facebook and sentenced him to a year in prison.
The lawyer defending Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi said he was prosecuted because his posts criticizing the army allegedly threatened to cause members of the military to mutiny or neglect their duties, a criminal offence punishable by up to two years in prison. The filmmaker has been jailed since April.
London-based human rights group Amnesty International called Thursday’s verdict by the Insein Township Court “an appalling indictment of the state of freedom of expression” and said the punishment was especially cruel because Min Htin Ko Ko Gyi suffers from serious health problems, including liver cancer. It called for his immediate and unconditional release.
