A court in Myanmar has charged two jailed Reuters news agency journalists with obtaining secret state documents, moving the landmark press freedom case into its trial stage after six months of preliminary hearings.

Yangon district judge Ye Lwin on Monday charged reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, with breaching the colonial-era Official Secret Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

The reporters pleaded not guilty.

The two journalists were detained in December for possessing material relating to security operations in conflict-hit Rakhine state.

Myanmar has faced global condemnation and accusations of extrajudicial killings, ethnic cleansing and genocide as some 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state in Myanmar to Bangladesh following a military crackdown "on insurgents".

Stephen Adler, Reuters' president and editor-in chief, said in a statement: "We are deeply disappointed that the court declined to end this protracted and baseless proceeding against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

"These Reuters journalists were doing their jobs in an independent and impartial way, and there are no facts or evidence to suggest that they've done anything wrong or broken any law.

"They should be released and reunited with their families, friends, and colleagues. Today's decision casts serious doubt on Myanmar's commitment to press freedom and the rule of law," the statement read.

The European Union on Monday echoed Adler's call to drop the charges.

"The European Union expects the charges against the two journalists prosecuted for merely exercising their rights to freedom of expression and carrying out their jobs to be dropped and for them to be released immediately so they can be reunited with their families and resume their vital work," a spokeswoman for the EU's foreign policy chief Federica Mogherini said in a statement.

The two reporters have been held in Yangon's Insein prison since their arrest while facing hearings to determine whether the case will go to trial, with witnesses giving testimony.

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In April, their lawyers asked to dismiss the case, citing in part troubling discrepancies in witness statements, but the motion was swiftly rejected in a Yangon courtroom packed with supporters, family and media.

The pair had been investigating the massacre of 10 Rohingya men on September 2 in the Rakhine village of Inn Din, which was carried out by security forces and local villagers.

The military admitted that the atrocity took place and Reuters later published the story while the reporters were in prison.</s>YANGON (Reuters) - A court in Myanmar on Monday charged two jailed Reuters journalists with obtaining secret state documents, moving the landmark press freedom case into its trial stage after six months of preliminary hearings.

Yangon district judge Ye Lwin charged reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, with breaching the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

Both journalists pleaded “not guilty” to the charges, telling the judge they had “followed journalistic ethics.”

Speaking to reporters after the ruling, Wa Lone said he and Kyaw Soe Oo had committed no crime and would testify to their innocence in court.

“Although we are charged, we are not guilty,” he said, in handcuffs, as officials ushered him into a police truck. “We will not retreat, give up or be shaken by this.”

(Follow latest updates on detained reporters here)

Chief prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung left the courthouse before reporters were able to ask him questions.

The case has attracted global attention. Some Western diplomats and rights groups say it is a test of progress towards full democracy under the administration of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in a country where the military still wields considerable influence.

U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley said the decision was a “major setback” for press freedom in Myanmar.

“A free press is fundamental to democracy. Journalists not only keep citizens informed but they hold leaders accountable,” Haley said in a statement. “We call on the Burmese government to allow these journalists to return to their families and continue their work.”

Reuters President and Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler called the case against the reporters “baseless”.

“These Reuters journalists were doing their jobs in an independent and impartial way, and there are no facts or evidence to suggest that they’ve done anything wrong or broken any law,” he said in a statement.

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay did not answer calls seeking comment after the court ruling on Monday. He has declined to comment throughout the proceedings, saying Myanmar’s courts are independent and the case would be conducted according to the law.

Detained Reuters journalist Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo sit beside police officers as they leave Insein court in Yangon, Myanmar July 9, 2018. REUTERS/Ann Wang

TRIAL PHASE

The reporters’ families, including Kyaw Soe Oo’s two-year-old daughter and Wa Lone’s pregnant wife, sat close to them in the courtroom packed with diplomats and journalists.

The judge said the court had filed charges against both reporters under section 3.1 (c) of the act to probe the prosecution’s allegations that they collected and obtained secret documents pertaining to the security forces with the intention to harm national security.

The case was adjourned until July 16.

Proceedings will now enter the trial phase. Defense lawyers will summon witnesses before the judge, who will then deliver a verdict in a process likely to take several weeks, according to legal experts.

Defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said both reporters would be called to testify as witnesses at the next hearing.

“Naturally, I’m not satisfied ... not happy,” he told reporters when asked about the court’s decision. “But I’m not losing hope. In the end we will have a happy ending.”

Earlier this month, defense lawyers said the journalists were arrested in a sting operation by the police that was aimed at interfering with their reporting.

At the same July 2 hearing, prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung said documents they had in their hands when they were arrested detailed the movements of security forces, while further documents found on their mobile phones ranged from confidential to top secret.

Slideshow (4 Images)

At the time of their arrest in December, the reporters had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State. The killings took place during a military crackdown that United Nations agencies say led to more than 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh.

The reporters have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers at a restaurant in northern Yangon by two policemen they had not met before.

In April, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing testified that a senior officer had ordered his subordinates to plant secret documents on Wa Lone to “trap” the reporter.

After his court appearance, Moe Yan Naing was sentenced to a year in jail for violating police discipline by having spoken to Wa Lone, and his family was evicted from police housing. Police have said the eviction and his sentencing were not related to his testimony.</s>A court in Myanmar has charged two jailed Reuters news agency journalists with obtaining secret state documents, moving the landmark press freedom case into its trial stage after six months of preliminary hearings.

Yangon district judge Ye Lwin on Monday charged reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, with breaching the colonial-era Official Secret Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

The two journalists were detained in December for possessing material relating to security operations in conflict-hit Rakhine state.

Myanmar has faced global condemnation and accusations of extrajudicial killings, ethnic cleansing and genocide as some 700,000 Rohingya have fled Rakhine state in Myanmar to Bangladesh following a military crackdown “on insurgents”.

Stephen Adler, Reuters’ president and editor-in chief, said in a statement: “We are deeply disappointed that the court declined to end this protracted and baseless proceeding against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.

“These Reuters journalists were doing their jobs in an independent and impartial way, and there are no facts or evidence to suggest that they’ve done anything wrong or broken any law.

“They should be released and reunited with their families, friends, and colleagues. Today’s decision casts serious doubt on Myanmar’s commitment to press freedom and the rule of law,” the statement read.

The two reporters have been held in Yangon’s Insein prison since their arrest while facing hearings to determine whether the case will go to trial, with witnesses giving testimony.

In April, their lawyers asked to dismiss the case, citing in part troubling discrepancies in witness statements, but the motion was swiftly rejected in a Yangon courtroom packed with supporters, family and media.

The pair had been investigating the massacre of 10 Rohingya men on September 2 in the Rakhine village of Inn Din, which was carried out by security forces and local villagers.

The military admitted that the atrocity took place and Reuters later published the story while the reporters were in prison.</s>Reuters journalists plead not guilty to Official Secrets Act charges in Myanmar court

A court in Myanmar has charged two jailed Reuters journalists with obtaining secret state documents, moving a landmark press freedom case into its trial stage after six months of preliminary hearings.

Yangon district judge Ye Lwin charged reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, with breaching of the colonial-era Official Secret Act which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

The journalists pleaded not guilty to the charges.

The case has attracted global attention. Some Western diplomats and rights groups say it is a test of progress towards full democracy under the administration of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in a country where the military still wields considerable influence.

In his ruling on Monday, the judge said the court had filed charges against both reporters under section 3.1 (c) of the act to probe the prosecution's allegations that they collected and obtained secret documents pertaining to the security forces with the intention to harm national security.

Proceedings will now enter the trial phase, during which defence lawyers will summon witnesses before the judge, who will then deliver a verdict, according to legal experts.

Earlier this month, defence lawyers asked the judge to throw out the case, arguing the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the charges.

They said the journalists were arrested in a sting operation by the police that was aimed at interfering with their reporting.

At the same July 2 hearing, prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung urged the judge to charge the reporters.

He said documents they had in their hands when they were arrested detailed the movements of security forces, while further documents found on their mobile phones ranged from confidential to top secret.

Myanmar Government spokesman Zaw Htay has declined to comment throughout the proceedings, saying Myanmar courts are independent and the case would be conducted according to the law.

He did not immediately answer calls seeking comment after the court ruling on Monday.

At the time of their arrest in December, the reporters had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in western Myanmar's Rakhine State.

The killings took place during a military crackdown that United Nations agencies say led to more than 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to neighbouring Bangladesh.

The reporters have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers at a restaurant in northern Yangon by two policemen they had not met before.

In April, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing testified that a senior officer had ordered his subordinates to plant secret documents on Wa Lone to "trap" the reporter.

After his court appearance, Moe Yan Naing was sentenced to a year in jail for violating police discipline by having spoken to Wa Lone, and his family was evicted from police housing.

Police have said the eviction and his sentencing were not related to his testimony.

Writers, press freedom and human rights activists around the world have rallied on behalf of the imprisoned reporters, with the United Nations and several Western countries calling for their release.</s>A Myanmar judge on Monday charged two Reuters journalists with violating the country’s colonial-era secrets act over their coverage of the Rohingya crisis. The two will now go to trial in what has been a closely-watched test of press freedoms in the country, drawing condemnation from foreign governments and press watchdogs.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, were charged with breaking the country’s Official Secrets Act, an offense punishable by up to 14 years in prison. They were arrested in December and accused of obtaining secret documents while reporting on the killing of 10 Rohingya boys and men in Myanmar’s western Rakhine state.

Judge U Ye Lwin, who has been presiding over the trial, said the men have been charged for “getting, collecting and transferring secret documents regarding operations of the [Myanmar] police force.”

The charging decision means the case against them will now be brought to trial, dragging out the case for several more weeks. It could be months before a ruling is reached on whether they will be sentenced, and for how long. The two journalists entered a plea of not guilty.

“If the judge wanted to, he could drop the charges, as one of the major witnesses testified that the journalists were entrapped,” said Khin Maung Zaw, the lawyer for the men. “But since he made his decision, we are going to defend that they acted ethically to uncover unlawful acts in Rakhine state.”

Zaw Htay, spokesman for the Myanmar government, did not respond to request for comment Monday. He said previously in responses to The Post that the court would make its decision according to “the rule of law” and that the government has assured that the pair will be able to defend themselves in fair court hearings.

Stephen Adler, the editor in chief and president of Reuters, said, “These Reuters journalists were doing their jobs in an independent and impartial way, and there are no facts or evidence to suggest that they’ve done anything wrong or broken any law. ... Today’s decision casts serious doubt on Myanmar’s commitment to press freedom and the rule of law.”

Lawyers for the pair say that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were entrapped by police officers, broke no laws and were simply doing their jobs as reporters. The two journalists were invited by police officers to a meeting Dec. 12 at a restaurant in Yangon, where they were handed papers that allegedly linked security forces to an attack on Rohingya Muslims in Rakhine state.

The journalists say they were then almost immediately arrested by police, who held them incommunicado for two weeks and accused them of “illegally obtaining” confidential documents.

Central to the defense’s arguments is police Capt. Moe Yan Naing, who testified in court that he was ordered to “trap” one of the two journalists by handing them the documents as a pretext for arrest. The officer has since been sentenced to a year in prison for violating the police force’s disciplinary code, and his family was evicted from their home in what the government said was an unrelated matter.

Media organizations and the international community see the closely watched case — packed with contradictions, conflicting accounts by police officers and absurd moments — as a litmus test for press freedom in Myanmar. During the course of the court proceedings, a police witness testified that he burnt his notes after the journailsts were arrested.

As the judge made his ruling, family and friends of the pair looked almost resigned to the news, having watched their loved ones shuttling back and forth, handcuffed and flanked by police officers, for almost seven months. Before he was dragged away by officers, Kyaw Soe Oo exchanged words with his daughter, a toddler, who had been waiting behind barbed wires before the court hearing started to catch a glimpse of her father.

Wa Lone has become known for his resilience and optimism during the course of the proceedings, photographed with a signature two thumbs up gesture flashed to cameras and reporters as he enters the Yangon court.

Speaking after the court session, Wa Lone said that the men were investigating human rights violations committed in Rakhine state — their jobs as reporters.

“We did nothing wrong and nothing unethical,” he said.

Today’s coverage from Post correspondents around the world

Like Washington Post World on Facebook and stay updated on foreign news</s>A Court in Myanmar on Monday charged two Reuters journalists with obtaining secret state documents, moving the landmark press freedom case into its trial stage after six months of preliminary hearings.

Yangon district judge Ye Lwin charged reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, with breaching of the colonial-era Official Secrets Act which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

Both journalists pleaded “not guilty’’ to the charges, telling the judge they had “followed journalistic ethics’’.

Speaking to reporters outside the court, Wa Lone said he and Kyaw Soe Oo had committed no crime and would testify to their innocence in court.

“We will face the court,’’ he said. “We will not retreat, give up or be shaken by this.’’

Chief prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung left the courthouse before reporters were able to ask him questions.

Some Western diplomats and rights groups say it is a test of progress towards full democracy under the administration of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in a country where the military still wields considerable influence.

Reuters President and Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler said the news organisation was “deeply disappointed’’ with the ruling and called the case against the reporters “baseless’’.

“These Reuters journalists were doing their jobs in an independent and impartial way, and there are no facts or evidence to suggest that they’ve done anything wrong or broken any law,’’ he said in a statement.

“Today’s decision casts serious doubt on Myanmar’s commitment to press freedom and the rule of law.’’

Myanmar government spokesman Zaw Htay has declined to comment throughout the proceedings, saying Myanmar’s courts are independent and the case would be conducted according to the law.

He did not answer calls seeking comment after the court ruling on Monday.

In his ruling, the judge said the court had filed charges against both reporters under section 3.1 (c) of the act to probe the prosecution’s allegations that they collected and obtained secret documents pertaining to the security forces with the intention to harm national security.

The case was adjourned until July 16.

Proceedings will now enter the trial phase, during which defense lawyers will summon witnesses before the judge, who will then deliver a verdict, according to legal experts.

Defence lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said both reporters would be called to testify at the next hearing.

“Naturally, I’m not satisfied not happy,” he told newsmen when asked about the court’s decision.

“But I’m not losing hope. We will struggle and in the end we will have a happy ending.”

Earlier this month, defence lawyers asked the judge to throw out the case, arguing the prosecution had failed to provide sufficient evidence to support the charges.

They said the journalists were arrested in a sting operation by the police that was aimed at interfering with their reporting.

At the same July 2 hearing, prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung urged the judge to charge the reporters.

He said documents they had in their hands when they were arrested detailed the movements of security forces, while further documents found on their mobile phones ranged from confidential to top secret.

At the time of their arrest in December, the reporters had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine State.

The killings took place during a military crackdown that United Nations agencies say led to more than 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to neighboring Bangladesh.

The reporters have told relatives they were arrested almost immediately after being handed some rolled up papers at a restaurant in northern Yangon by two policemen they had not met before.

In April, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing testified that a senior officer had ordered his subordinates to plant secret documents on Wa Lone to “trap’’ the reporter.

After his court appearance, Moe Yan Naing was sentenced to a year in jail for violating police discipline by having spoken to Wa Lone, and his family was evicted from police housing.

Police have said the eviction and his sentencing were not related to his testimony.

Writers, press freedom and human rights activists around the world have rallied on behalf of the imprisoned reporters, with the UN and several Western countries calling for their release.

“We are extremely disappointed with the decision to charge them,’’ Danish deputy head of mission in Myanmar Dorte Chortsen said after Monday’s ruling. (Reuters/NAN)</s>YANGON (Reuters) - A court in Myanmar on Monday charged two jailed Reuters journalists with obtaining secret state documents, moving the landmark press freedom case into its trial stage after six months of preliminary hearings.

Yangon district judge Ye Lwin charged reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, with breaching the colonial-era Official Secret Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison. The reporters pleaded not guilty.</s>A court in Myanmar on Monday charged two jailed Reuters journalists with obtaining secret state documents, moving the landmark press freedom case into its trial stage after six months of preliminary hearings.

Yangon district judge Ye Lwin charged reporters Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, with breaching the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

Both journalists pleaded "not guilty" to the charges, telling the judge they had "followed journalistic ethics".

Speaking to reporters after the ruling, Wa Lone said he and Kyaw Soe Oo had committed no crime and would testify to their innocence in court.

"Although we are charged, we are not guilty," he said, in handcuffs, as officials ushered him into a police truck. "We will not retreat, give up or be shaken by this."

Chief prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung left the courthouse before reporters were able to ask him questions.</s>The two Reuters journalists arrested in Myanmar in December while investigating the brutal army crackdown against Rohingya Muslims in western Rakhine state have pleaded not guilty after a judge ruled that they would face charges under the country’s colonial-era Official Secrets Act.

On Monday, a rainy monsoon morning, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo arrived at a court in northern Yangon after being transferred from nearby Insein Prison. They walked into the courtroom as they have during dozens of pre-trial hearings, with a handcuffed Wa Lone giving his now-famous thumbs up to the large crowd of family, press and supporters outside the court. Among the throng of people was Kyaw Soe Oo’s young daughter who waited hopefully for her father to arrive.

In a short hearing that lasted less than 30 minutes, Judge Ye Lwin charged the pair for breaching the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years’ imprisonment. The next hearing is set for July 16. The pair have already spent almost seven months behind bars.

Speaking to reporters after the hearing, a determined Wa Lone said they would “not give up.”

“We are not shaken by the charges, we are innocent,” he said to the crowd.

Read More: Press Freedom Is Under Attack Across Southeast Asia. Meet the Journalists Fighting Back

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested outside a restaurant in Yangon in December, and charged with handling government documents supposedly relating to the Myanmar military’s crackdown in Rakhine state that has forced more than 700,000 Rohingya to flee into neighboring Bangladesh since August. The prosecution maintains that the pair were detained during a routine patrol, but the reporters have told their family that they were invited to dinner by members of the police force, where they were handed the documents before being arrested.

At the time of their arrest, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya men and boys at Inn Din village, in northern Rakhine state, in September. In February, Reuters published the story, which described how security forces and local Rakhine villagers were involved in the massacre.

Former U.S. Secretary of State Rex Tillerson has said the crackdown “constitutes ethnic cleansing” while the U.N. rights envoy to Myanmar said the campaign bears “the hallmarks of genocide.” Myanmar authorities have largely denied any wrongdoing, although in April seven soldiers were sentenced to 10 years in prison for their role in the Inn Dinn killings.

Government spokesperson Zaw Htay could not be reached for comment.

The prosecution’s case has come under considerable scrutiny after a witness called on behalf of the prosecution, Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, told the court in April that officers had been ordered by their superiors to “entrap” Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. After his testimony, Moe Yan Naing was sentenced to a year in prison for breaking police protocol, and his family were removed from government housing in the capital, Nay Pyi Taw.

Authorities have denied entrapping the reporters. In June, State Counselor Aung San Suu Kyi told Japanese broadcaster NHK World that the pair “were not arrested for covering the [Rakhine] issue.” Speaking outside the courtroom at a previous hearing on June 18, Wa Lone rebuffed Suu Kyi’s comments. “I want to let the government, especially the state counselor, know this. We were [arrested] for covering Rakhine state,” he said.

Read More: Myanmar’s Case Against Two Reuters Reporters Is a War on the Truth

Defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said Monday that the defense team would “hope for the best, but prepare for the worst.” He said four witnesses will be called for the reporters’ defense, including their driver on the night of the arrest.

The case has cast a shadow of over the state of press freedom in Myanmar. While media workers had been optimistic that Suu Kyi’s civilian government, elected in 2015, would enact reforms that included greater freedoms for the press, many have now expressed frustration. Asked about the state of press freedom in Myanmar, Khin Maung Zaw called it “meager.”

“If [press freedom] was backsliding, that would mean there has been an advance. It is not getting worse, because press freedom has never improved since the military government,” he said.

The case has also attracted widespread criticism internationally. Matthew Bugher, head of the Asia program for legal advocacy group Article 19, told TIME that the decision to charge the reporters “renders the judiciary complicit in a farcical miscarriage of justice.”

“The ongoing criminal proceedings against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo underscore the Myanmar government’s wide-ranging efforts to obstruct reporting on the Rakhine state crisis and to whitewash human rights violations by authorities,” he said.

Sean Bain, a legal adviser for the International Commission of Jurists in Yangon said the decision “raises real concerns about the independence and impartiality of the judiciary and prosecution when confronted with politically sensitive cases.”

In a statement Monday, Reuters President and Editor-in-Chief Stephen J. Adler called the trial a “protracted and baseless proceeding.”

“These Reuters journalists were doing their jobs in an independent and impartial way, and there are no facts of evidence to suggest that they’ve done anything wrong or broken any law.” he said. “They should be released and reunited with their families, friends, and colleagues. Today’s decision casts serious doubt on Myanmar’s commitment to press freedom and the rule of law.”</s>YANGON (Reuters) - Two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, have been detained in Myanmar since Dec. 12, 2017. At the time of their arrests, they had been working on an investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in Rakhine state.

After six months of pre-trial hearings, a court is set to decide on Monday whether or not to charge the reporters under the Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum penalty of 14 years in prison.

The following are key events in the case:

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are arrested in Yangon after being invited to meet police over dinner.

The government says they face charges under the Official Secrets Act.

Myanmar’s military says it has discovered a mass grave in the village of Inn Din, in western Rakhine state.

The reporters appear in court and are remanded to custody. Their families say the pair told them they were arrested almost immediately after being handed documents by the policemen they met for the first time the night of their arrest.

Pre-trial hearings begin, with prosecutors seeking charges against the journalists under the Official Secrets Act.

On the same day, the military says its soldiers murdered 10 captured Muslims, whose bodies were those discovered by security forces in the mass grave in Rakhine, during insurgent attacks.

A police witness, Major Min Thant, says under cross-examination that information in the documents the reporters were holding in their hands at the time of their arrest had already been published in newspaper reports.

Reuters publishes the investigation that the reporters had been working on. It describes how security forces and local Rakhine Buddhists were involved in the killing of the 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys buried in the mass grave at Inn Din.

Myanmar says action will be taken against members of its security forces in connection with the killings at Inn Din, but says it is not related to the Reuters report.

The United States urges the U.N. to hold Myanmar’s military accountable for “ethnic cleansing” and reiterates demands for the reporters’ release.

Lawyers for Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo ask the court to throw out the case, saying there is insufficient evidence to support charges against the pair.

Prominent human rights lawyer Amal Clooney joins the legal team representing the two Reuters reporters. “Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are being prosecuted simply because they reported the news,” Clooney said in a statement.

Prosecution witness Police Captain Moe Yan Naing tells the court that a police brigadier general had given orders to entrap Wa Lone by giving him “secret documents” and then arresting him. Prosecutors later argued that Moe Yan Naing should be declared an unreliable witness, but the judge rejected the request.

Moe Yan Naing is sentenced to a year in prison for violating Myanmar’s Police Disciplinary Act by talking to Wa Lone.

Police Lance Corporal Naing Lin, the officer Moe Yan Naing said was ordered to entrap Wa Lone, tells the court he met the reporters, but denies giving them documents.

A senior police officer denies during cross-examination by defense lawyers that the reporters were subjected to sleep deprivation and asked if they were “spies” during interrogations. Afterwards, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo confirm details of their treatment, saying they were questioned every two hours by different officers for about three days.

Prosecutors and defense lawyers deliver final arguments in the pre-trial phase of the case.
A court in Myanmar charges two Reuters journalists with obtaining secret state documents in violation of the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, taking the landmark press freedom case to trial after a period of preliminary hearings that lasted six months. The two journalists were investigating mass graves in the village of Inn Din in northern Rakhine State prior to their arrest and imprisonment on 12 December 2017.