SKIP TO MAIN CONTENT

Amal Clooney to defend journalists held in Myanmar

British-Lebanese human rights lawyer Amal Clooney announced she will represent two Reuters journalists detained in Myanmar in a case that has incensed global opinion.

The international law and human rights lawyer, Amal Clooney, will represent detained journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo.
The international law and human rights lawyer, Amal Clooney, will represent detained journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo. Source: AAP

2 min read

Published

Source: AFP, SBS


Skip to article content

Myanmar reporters Wa Lone, 31, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 27, were arrested last December and have been charged under the Official Secrets Act, which could see them jailed up to 14 years.

They had been investigating the killing by security forces and ethnic Rakhine locals of 10 unarmed Rohingya Muslim men in the country's crisis-hit northern Rakhine State.

Thirty-one-year-old Reuters journalist Wa Lone.
Thirty-one-year-old Reuters journalist Wa Lone. Source: AAP

"Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo are being prosecuted simply because they reported the news. I have reviewed the case file and it is clear beyond doubt that the two journalists are innocent and should be released immediately," Clooney said.

News that makes sense

Your trusted source for staying up-to-date with the world around you. Get free daily news updates and analysis, straight to your inbox.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

"Yet they have been denied bail and face 14 years in prison. The outcome of this case will tell us a lot about Myanmar's commitment to the rule of law and freedom of speech."

Clooney's involvement will increase the global attention that has surrounded proceedings against the pair, who are being detained in a Yangon prison.

Twenty-seven-year-old Kyaw Soe Oo.
Twenty-seven-year-old Kyaw Soe Oo. Source: AAP

"We will pursue all avenues to secure our reporters' release. Retaining Ms Clooney greatly strengthens our international legal expertise and allows us to broaden those efforts," said Gail Gove, chief counsel of Reuters.

Former US president Bill Clinton and UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres are among those who have called for the journalists' release as fears grow about Myanmar's shrinking press freedoms.

Clooney, an internationally respected lawyer, has also attracted huge celebrity following since her 2014 marriage to American film star George Clooney.


Get SBS News straight to your inbox

Sign up now for daily news from Australia and around the world. You can also subscribe to Insight's weekly newsletter for in-depth features and first-person stories.

By subscribing, you agree to SBS’s terms of service and privacy policy including receiving email updates from SBS.

Follow SBS News

Download our apps

Listen to our podcasts

Get the latest with our News podcasts on your favourite podcast apps.

Watch on SBS

SBS World News

Take a global view with Australia's most comprehensive world news service

Stream now

Watch the latest news videos from Australia and across the world