A group of Muslim men have been jailed in Myanmar for receiving training from an organization prosecutors refer to as the “Myanmar Muslim Army” -- a collective defense lawyers and security experts have suggested does not even exist.
The Myanmar Times reported Tuesday that the 12 men -- who are between 19 and 54 years old -- were given five year jail terms Monday at Aung Myay Thar San township court in Mandalay after being arrested and detained between late last year.
They were charged under section 5J of the Emergency Provisions Act, which makes it illegal to "affect the morality or conduct of the public in a way that would undermine the security of the Union".
A lawyer working with an international human rights organization immediately slammed the verdict, accusing the court of staging an unfair trial and saying the defendants were tortured into confessions.
“This is injustice. There was clearly no evidence to support this verdict,” Matthew Bugher, a consultant to Fortify Rights who has been monitoring the trial, said in a statement.
“This sentence reveals the lack of justice, accountability and fair process in the current government and the court system.”
Phil Roberston, deputy Asia director for Human Rights Watch, told Anadolu Agency on Tuesday that the men should “be released immediately on grounds that they didn't receive a free or fair trial”. (Courtesy of http://aa.com.tr)
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