Get 40% Off
🤯 This Tech Portfolio is up 29% YTD! Join Now to Get April’s Top PicksGet The Picks – Just 99 USD

Myanmar jails Japanese filmmaker for sedition

Published 10/05/2022, 10:14 PM
Updated 10/06/2022, 04:06 AM
© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A portrait photo of Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota, who has been detained in Myanmar after filming a protest that took place on July 30, 2022, is displayed during a news conference by his friends including a radio personality Nikki

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A portrait photo of Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota, who has been detained in Myanmar after filming a protest that took place on July 30, 2022, is displayed during a news conference by his friends including a radio personality Nikki

TOKYO (Reuters) - A court in military-ruled Myanmar has sentenced a Japanese documentary filmmaker to 10 years in prison for violating sedition and communications laws, a Japanese foreign ministry official said on Thursday.

Toru Kubota, 26, was arrested in July at a protest in Myanmar's main city of Yangon. At the time, it was reported he faced charges of breaking an immigration law and encouraging dissent against the ruling military.

Kubota was on Wednesday sentenced to three years in prison for sedition and seven years for violating a law on telecommunications, the ministry official said, citing the filmmaker's lawyer.

However, he was expected to serve the sentences concurrently, media in Myanmar reported, citing the junta's communications team.

A court hearing on his alleged violation of the immigration control law was scheduled for Oct. 12, the Japanese ministry official said.

"We have been asking Myanmar authorities for Mr. Kubota's early release, and we intend to keep on doing so," he said.

Calls to a Myanmar military spokesperson seeking comment were not answered. The junta says Myanmar's courts are independent and those arrested are receiving due process.

© Reuters. FILE PHOTO: A portrait photo of Japanese documentary filmmaker Toru Kubota, who has been detained in Myanmar after filming a protest that took place on July 30, 2022, is displayed during a news conference by his friends including a radio personality Nikki Tsukamoto Kininmonth to call for his release at Japan National Press Club in Tokyo, Japan August 3, 2022.  REUTERS/Issei Kato

Myanmar has been trapped in a spiral of violence since the military overthrew an elected government last year. The junta has arrested thousands including politicians, bureaucrats, students, journalists, and foreigners as it attempts to smother dissent.

A Japanese freelance journalist was arrested last year and charged with spreading false news in his coverage of anti-coup protests. He was later freed with the junta saying his release was in recognition the two countries' close ties.

Latest comments

Risk Disclosure: Trading in financial instruments and/or cryptocurrencies involves high risks including the risk of losing some, or all, of your investment amount, and may not be suitable for all investors. Prices of cryptocurrencies are extremely volatile and may be affected by external factors such as financial, regulatory or political events. Trading on margin increases the financial risks.
Before deciding to trade in financial instrument or cryptocurrencies you should be fully informed of the risks and costs associated with trading the financial markets, carefully consider your investment objectives, level of experience, and risk appetite, and seek professional advice where needed.
Fusion Media would like to remind you that the data contained in this website is not necessarily real-time nor accurate. The data and prices on the website are not necessarily provided by any market or exchange, but may be provided by market makers, and so prices may not be accurate and may differ from the actual price at any given market, meaning prices are indicative and not appropriate for trading purposes. Fusion Media and any provider of the data contained in this website will not accept liability for any loss or damage as a result of your trading, or your reliance on the information contained within this website.
It is prohibited to use, store, reproduce, display, modify, transmit or distribute the data contained in this website without the explicit prior written permission of Fusion Media and/or the data provider. All intellectual property rights are reserved by the providers and/or the exchange providing the data contained in this website.
Fusion Media may be compensated by the advertisers that appear on the website, based on your interaction with the advertisements or advertisers.
© 2007-2024 - Fusion Media Limited. All Rights Reserved.