YANGON (Reuters) - The judge in the trial of two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar on accusations of obtaining secret state documents said on Monday he will deliver his verdict on Aug. 27, in a case seen as a test of press freedom in the fledgling democracy.

The judge set the date after hearing closing arguments from both sides, during which lawyers for the two journalists said they had been “trapped” by police in an effort to interfere with their reporting of a massacre of Rohingya Muslims.

“The duty of the reporter is to reveal the truth,” said lead defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw. “Some people may not be okay with that truth.”

Khin Maung Zaw said the prosecution had failed to establish that the documents at the heart of the case were sought out by the reporters or that they were a threat to national security, crucial components of the case against them.

The court in Yangon has been holding hearings since January to decide whether, Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, are guilty of breaching the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.

At the time of their arrest last year, the two reporters were working on a Reuters investigation into the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim men and boys in a village in western Myanmar’s Rakhine state, during an army crackdown that United Nations’ agencies say sent some 700,000 Rohingya fleeing to Bangladesh.

Related Coverage Timeline: Reuters journalists detained in Myanmar

Lead prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung outlined the state’s case against Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, whose actions, he said, showed they “intended to harm” the country. By acquiring documents that could pose a threat to the state if their contents were obtained by extremist groups, he said, the pair were working for the benefit of Reuters rather than for the national interest.

“Reuters is a foreign news agency that pays its reporters in dollars,” he said. “It was found from the reporters that they sent their news to Reuters and their own evidence shows that Reuters sells news for money.”

Defense lawyer Khin Maung Zaw said it was obvious Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were reporters and the court had heard no testimony to suggest they were spies.

“The government has not designated Reuters an enemy of the nation,” he added.

Government spokesman Zaw Htay could not be reached for comment on Monday. He has mostly declined to comment throughout the proceedings, saying Myanmar’s courts are independent.

Reuters said in a statement there was no basis for a conviction and that it looked forward to the reporters’ acquittal, which it said would be an important step towards demonstrating Myanmar’s commitment to the rule of law, freedom of the press, and democracy.

Detained Reuters journalist Kyaw Soe Oo and Wa Lone are escorted by police as they leave after a court hearing in Yangon, Myanmar, August 20, 2018. REUTERS/Ann Wang

“The evidence before the court is clear: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are two honest reporters who did not commit a crime,” said the new agency in the statement. “Imprisoning them for even one more day would be unlawful retribution for their truthful and important journalism.”

“BABY GIRL”

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo have told the court they were entrapped by police officials who planted documents on them shortly before their arrest on Dec. 12. They say Police Lance Corporal Naing Lin and another officer handed them the documents in a rolled-up newspaper at a Yangon restaurant.

A police captain, Moe Yan Naing, testified that a superior officer had instructed his subordinates, including Naing Lin, to “trap” the reporters. Naing Lin has told the court he met the reporters, but denied giving them anything.

The reporters have said they were hooded, handcuffed, and deprived of sleep during days of interrogation.

The case has captured global attention and has come to be seen as a test of press freedom and reforms in Myanmar, where the military still wields considerable influence. Senior U.N officials, Western nations and press freedom advocates have called for the release of the two journalists. The courtroom on Monday was filled with foreign diplomats and observers.

Wa Lone’s wife, Pan Ei Mon, who earlier this month gave birth to the couple’s first child, was not present. After the hearing, Kyaw Soe Oo’s wife, Chit Su Win, carried their three-year-old daughter out of the court as she sobbed “papa”.

Slideshow (9 Images)

Speaking to reporters, Wa Lone said he hoped the court would rule in their favor.

“We firmly believe that the court will make a fair decision and will free us,” he said. “I firmly believe that, before long, I will be able to return to my baby girl.”</s>A Myanmar judge said Monday he would deliver a verdict next week in the trial of two Reuters reporters accused of leaking state secrets, a case which has sparked an international outcry over declining press freedom.

Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, could be jailed for up to 14 years if convicted of breaching an official secrets law, a charge which one of them decried as "baseless" after closing arguments Monday.

They have been detained in Myanmar's infamous Insein prison since December after meeting police for dinner in the former capital Yangon.

The pair had been investigating a massacre of Rohingya Muslims in conflict-scarred Rakhine state in western Myanmar.

Police allege they had secret documents relating to security operations in the state but the journalists have recounted being lured to the sit-down and entrapped.

The judge in the case said he would deliver the verdict on August 27.

"We are not wrong and the things alleged by the prosecution are baseless," Wa Lone told reporters after the hearing, adding he was hoping soon to see his daughter, who was born this month.

The case has ignited global concern over eroding media freedoms under de facto leader Aung San Suu Kyi, who came to power in 2016 on high hopes for a democratic Myanmar.

Reuters launched a worldwide advocacy campaign and hired prominent rights attorney Amal Clooney but the case has proceeded despite the efforts.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were probing the killing of 10 Rohingya men and boys in Rakhine in September, soon after the military launched a crackdown on militants that broadened into what the US and UN have called "ethnic cleansing".

Some 700,000 Rohingya refugees fled to Bangladesh where they accused Myanmar security forces of rape, arson and murder in a scorched-earth operation that razed hundreds of villages.

Myanmar denies targeting civilians but the military admitted that the September killings in the village of Inn Din did occur and convicted seven soldiers.

Prosecutor Kyaw Min Aung told the court in his final argument that Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo had information that was sensitive to national security.

"If the documents which were found in the hands of the journalists had spread to the terrorists it would be easier for the terrorists to attack again," he said. "The journalists should know better."

But the prosecution's case has been weakened by testimony from a police witness who said he was ordered to help lay an incriminating trap.

The reporters previously told the court they were presented with documents at the meeting with police and then quickly arrested.

They also testified to being hooded and deprived of sleep during initial interrogations.

The defence has highlighted the police testimony of a set-up and argued that the documents thrust on the journalists had already been published in state newspapers.

The trial has cast a harsh light on free expression in a country where reporting on the Rohingya crisis and military operations is highly sensitive.

At the trial session next Monday, "the court will give an answer on freedom of the press and rule of law," Kyaw Soe Oo told reporters after the hearing ended.

Reuters said in a statement it was looking forward to an acquittal.</s>The judge in the trial of two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar on accusations of obtaining secret state documents said on Monday he will deliver his verdict on Aug. 27, in a case seen as a test of press freedom in the fledgling democracy.

The judge set the date after hearing closing arguments from both sides, during which lawyers for the two journalists said they had been “trapped” by police in an effort to interfere with their reporting of a massacre of Rohingya Muslims.</s>related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

2 related media assets (image or videos) available. Click to see the gallery.

The judge in the trial of two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar on accusations of obtaining secret state documents said on Monday he will deliver his verdict on August 27, in a case that is seen as a test of press freedom in the fledgling democracy.

YANGON: The judge in the trial of two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar on accusations of obtaining secret state documents said on Monday he will deliver his verdict on August 27, in a case that is seen as a test of press freedom in the fledgling democracy.

The judge set the date after closing arguments had been delivered.

The court in Yangon has been holding hearings since January to decide whether, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, are guilty of breaching the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.</s>A judge in Myanmar will deliver a verdict in one week in the trial of two Reuters journalists accused of breaking the country's secrecy laws by reporting on the Rohingya Muslim refugee crisis.

The two are charged with illegal possession of official state documents. Both defendants say they were framed by police.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were arrested last December after meeting with two police officers and given a stack of documents. They have been charged with violating the Official Secrets Act, which was enacted in 1923 when Myanmar was called Burma and was under British colonial rule.

The pair were covering the brutal military campaign in Rakhine state that has driven nearly 700,000 Rohingya Muslims across the border into Bangladesh since last August. The military and the civilian government have prohibited most journalists and international observers from traveling independently to the area.

The two Reuters journalists face sentences of 14 years in prison if they are convicted. The case is seen as a test of press freedom and freedom of expression in Myanmar, which embraced democracy in 2016 after decades under repressive military rule.</s>YANGON (Reuters) - The judge in the trial of two Reuters reporters jailed in Myanmar on accusations of obtaining secret state documents said on Monday he will deliver his verdict on August 27, in a case that is seen as a test of press freedom in the fledgling democracy.

The judge set the date after closing arguments had been delivered.

The court in Yangon has been holding hearings since January to decide whether, Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, are guilty of breaching the colonial-era Official Secrets Act, which carries a maximum sentence of 14 years in prison.</s>Verdict scheduled for next week in Myanmar reporters' trial

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A judge in Myanmar says he will deliver a verdict next Monday in the trial of two Reuters journalists that has become a key test of media freedom in the former military dictatorship.

Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo were charged with illegally possessing official documents and face possible jail terms of up to 14 years. The reporters say they were framed by police, and did not solicit or knowingly possess any secret documents.

The two reporters had been working on a story about a massacre of Muslim Rohingya men by security forces in a village in Rakhine state during a counterinsurgency operation that critics say involved massive human rights violations and was responsible for driving 700,000 people to flee for their lives into neighboring Bangladesh.</s>Verdict scheduled for next week in Myanmar reporters' trial

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A judge in Myanmar said he will issue a verdict next Monday in the trial of two Reuters journalists accused of possessing secret state information, a case that has become a key test of media freedom in the former military dictatorship.

Closing arguments were heard Monday in the trial of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who are charged with illegal possession of official documents and face possible jail terms of up to 14 years under a law dating back to British colonial rule, when the country was called Burma.

The defendants say they were framed by police, and did not solicit or knowingly possess any secret documents.

"The evidence before the court is clear: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are two honest reporters who did not commit a crime," the Reuters news agency said in a statement Monday. "Imprisoning them for even one more day would be unlawful retribution for their truthful and important journalism. We look forward to the court's acquittal, which will be an important step towards demonstrating Myanmar's commitment to rule of law, freedom of the press, and democracy."

The two reporters had been working on a story about a massacre of Muslim Rohingya men by security forces in a village in Rakhine state during a counterinsurgency operation that critics say involved massive human rights violations and was responsible for driving 700,000 people into neighboring Bangladesh. The government denies any widespread abuses but continues to restrict access to the area.

"They just did their jobs for their people and their country," Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer for the journalists, told reporters covering the trial. "I believe they are innocent. And I told the judge, 'The scale of justice should be tempered with mercy,' which is the Golden Rule of Burmese jurisprudence," he said.

In remarks shouted to reporters on their way into the courtroom, the two defendants expressed their belief they would be acquitted.

"As for me, next week, I am expecting to see the rule of law in our country and freedom of the press," said Kyaw Soe Oo, 28.

Wa Lone, 31, said: "The accusations from the complainant's side are nonsense and they don't understand the duty of journalists. So I strongly believe that I will be meeting my little daughter soon."

Wa Lone's wife, Pan Ei Mon, delivered the couple's first child in Yangon on Aug. 10, but Wa Lone has not yet seen his daughter.

When Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a general election in 2015 after more than 50 years of military rule, hopes were high that the victory would usher in a new era of media freedom.

But since then a series of arrests of journalists has sent a chill through newsrooms. Earlier this year the media group Reporters Without Borders moved Myanmar down six places to number 137 in its annual World Press Freedom Index.

Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Myanmar to immediately release the two Reuters journalists.

Pompeo said in a tweet he raised U.S. concerns about the two reporters "detained in Burma for doing their job" during a meeting with Myanmar Foreign Minister Kyaw Tin on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Singapore.</s>The trial of a pair of detained Reuters journalists, accused of violating the Official Secrets Act, on Monday wrapped up in Myanmar's former capital of Yangon.

Police escorted Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo from the courthouse following the final arguments in their trial, with Wa Lone giving the thumbs up to media personnel and others gathered nearby, an efe-epa journalist reports.</s>Reuters journalist Wa Lone talks to journalists from police truck as they leave the court after their trial Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in Yangon, Myanmar. The two reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are accused of illegally possessing official information. less

Reuters journalist Wa Lone talks to journalists from police truck as they leave the court after their trial Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in Yangon, Myanmar. The two reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are accused of ... more

Two Reuters journalists Kyaw Soe Oo, center front, and Wa Lone, center back, are escorted by polices upon arrival at their trial Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in Yangon, Myanmar. The two reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are accused of illegally possessing official information. less

Two Reuters journalists Kyaw Soe Oo, center front, and Wa Lone, center back, are escorted by polices upon arrival at their trial Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in Yangon, Myanmar. The two reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw ... more

Reuters journalist Wa Lone gives a "thumbs up" as he is escorted by police upon arrival to his trial Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in Yangon, Myanmar. The two reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are accused of illegally possessing official information. less

Reuters journalist Wa Lone gives a "thumbs up" as he is escorted by police upon arrival to his trial Monday, Aug. 20, 2018, in Yangon, Myanmar. The two reporters, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are accused of ... more

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A judge in Myanmar said he will issue a verdict next Monday in the trial of two Reuters journalists accused of possessing secret state information, a case that has become a key test of media freedom in the former military dictatorship.

Closing arguments were heard Monday in the trial of Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, who are charged with illegal possession of official documents and face possible jail terms of up to 14 years under a law dating back to British colonial rule, when the country was called Burma.

The defendants say they were framed by police, and did not solicit or knowingly possess any secret documents.

"The evidence before the court is clear: Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are two honest reporters who did not commit a crime," the Reuters news agency said in a statement Monday. "Imprisoning them for even one more day would be unlawful retribution for their truthful and important journalism. We look forward to the court's acquittal, which will be an important step towards demonstrating Myanmar's commitment to rule of law, freedom of the press, and democracy."

The two reporters had been working on a story about a massacre of Muslim Rohingya men by security forces in a village in Rakhine state during a counterinsurgency operation that critics say involved massive human rights violations and was responsible for driving 700,000 people into neighboring Bangladesh. The government denies any widespread abuses but continues to restrict access to the area.

"They just did their jobs for their people and their country," Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer for the journalists, told reporters covering the trial. "I believe they are innocent. And I told the judge, 'The scale of justice should be tempered with mercy,' which is the Golden Rule of Burmese jurisprudence," he said.

In remarks shouted to reporters on their way into the courtroom, the two defendants expressed their belief they would be acquitted.

"As for me, next week, I am expecting to see the rule of law in our country and freedom of the press," said Kyaw Soe Oo, 28.

Wa Lone, 31, said: "The accusations from the complainant's side are nonsense and they don't understand the duty of journalists. So I strongly believe that I will be meeting my little daughter soon."

Wa Lone's wife, Pan Ei Mon, delivered the couple's first child in Yangon on Aug. 10, but Wa Lone has not yet seen his daughter.

When Myanmar leader Aung San Suu Kyi's National League for Democracy won a general election in 2015 after more than 50 years of military rule, hopes were high that the victory would usher in a new era of media freedom.

But since then a series of arrests of journalists has sent a chill through newsrooms. Earlier this year the media group Reporters Without Borders moved Myanmar down six places to number 137 in its annual World Press Freedom Index.

Earlier this month, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo called on Myanmar to immediately release the two Reuters journalists.

Pompeo said in a tweet he raised U.S. concerns about the two reporters "detained in Burma for doing their job" during a meeting with Myanmar Foreign Minister Kyaw Tin on the sidelines of a regional gathering in Singapore.
The judge in the trial of two Reuters journalists jailed in Myanmar announces that he will deliver his verdict on August 27, in a test of press freedom in the country. The journalists were investigating mass graves at the village of Inn Din and the massacre that took place there when they were arrested for allegedly obtaining "secret documents".