Danny Fenster, an American journalist who has been imprisoned in Myanmar since May, was found guilty of three charges on Friday and given an 11-year prison term, the toughest possible sentence, his lawyer said.

The ruling came during a closed hearing in the city of Yangon. The lawyer, U Than Zaw Aung, said the charges stemmed from news coverage in Myanmar Now, a hard-hitting outlet that Fenster has not worked for in more than a year.

Than Zaw Aung said Fenster, 37, broke down in tears when he heard the sentence. “He said he never thought of spending 11 years in prison in his life,” he said.

Fenster said he would not appeal the ruling because “the orders came from above and it would not matter whether he appealed or not”, according to Than Zaw Aung.

The sentence seemed to be the latest signal that Myanmar’s military, which seized power in February, would not bow to pressure, including sanctions, from the US and other countries. The state department has repeatedly called for Fenster’s release. Courts in Myanmar have also begun giving maximum sentences to prominent opponents of military rule.

“This long prison sentence against a journalist is a travesty of justice by a kangaroo court operating at the beck-and-call of the Myanmar military junta,” said Phil Robertson, the deputy Asia director of Human Rights Watch. “Danny Fenster has done nothing that should be considered a crime.”

He said the ruling was meant to intimidate other journalists working in Myanmar, and to send the US a message that the ruling generals “don’t appreciate being hit with economic sanctions and can bite back with hostage diplomacy”.

Fenster could eventually face even more time in prison. Two new charges of terrorism and sedition were filed against him this week, each carrying a maximum sentence of 20 years. His lawyer said he was baffled by those charges and had yet to see any evidence supporting them.

Fenster, the only American known to be detained in Myanmar, was arrested on May 24 at Yangon International Airport as he was preparing to board a flight out of the country. He has been held at Insein Prison, which is notorious for its harsh treatment of political prisoners. Members of his family have said that they believe he contracted Covid-19 while in prison.

On Friday, Fenster was convicted of disseminating information that could be harmful to the military and violating the country’s Unlawful Association Act, receiving the maximum three-year prison term for each charge. He was also convicted of violating Myanmar’s immigration law, for which he was given the maximum sentence of five years.

New York Times News Service