Tokyo: Japanese journalist Toru Kubota, who was arrested in Myanmar earlier this year on sedition charges, was sentenced to three more years on Wednesday for the violation of immigration law while entering Myanmar, Japanese media reported, citing sources in the law enforcement.
Last week, Kubota was also sentenced to seven years in prison on charges of sedition and violation of Myanmar’s law on telecommunications after he was detained by the police in July while recording protests against the military government on camera in Yangon, the Myanmar capital.
The journalist got another sentence for breaking visa rules, as he entered Myanmar using a tourist visa to Thailand, the Kyodo news agency reported.
The prosecution said that Kubota had actively participated in the anti-government demonstrations and made contacts with protesters.
The Japanese government will continue to call on the Myanmar authorities to immediately release the journalist, according to the news agency.
Last year, another Japanese freelance journalist was arrested in Yangon, as he was suspected of spreading false information in his coverage of anti-government rallies in Myanmar. He was later released after a month-long efforts of the Japanese Foreign Ministry.
In February 2021, the military grabbed power in Myanmar using a constitutional mechanism for transferring powers in an emergency situation.
The military’s actions spurred major civil unrest, which resulted in over 1,600 casualties, with over 12,000 people arrested and 500,000 people internally displaced.
