Court hearing due for Associated Press reporter in Myanmar

YANGON, Myanmar (AP) — A court in Myanmar is scheduled to hold a hearing on Friday for an Associated Press journalist detained while covering demonstrations against the military's seizure of power last month. He is facing a charge that could send him to prison for three years.

Thein Zaw, 32, was one of nine media workers taken into custody during a street protest on Feb. 27 in Yangon, the country’s largest city, and has been held without bail.

His hearing Friday comes at the end of his initial remand period, and his lawyer, Tin Zar Oo, said ahead of it that she expected the court to schedule another hearing. She plans to submit her power of attorney as Zaw’s lawyer and perhaps try to apply for bail.

Thein Zaw has not been seen by his lawyer or any of his family members since his arrest. Tin Zar Oo said visits at Insein Prison, where he is being held, are not allowed because of coronavirus concerns, so his family has been dropping off food and supplies for him at the gate.

According to the independent Assistance Association for Political Prisoners, 38 journalists have been detained since the military took over Feb. 1, ousting the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Nineteen are still incarcerated.

The group says it has verified the detentions of more than 2,000 people as well as 69 deaths.

The military regime has attacked the press in other ways as well. This week it canceled the licenses of five local media outlets that had extensively covered the protests. Mizzima, Democratic Voice of Burma, Khit Thit Media, Myanmar Now and 7Day News have continued operating after they were barred from broadcasting or publishing on any media platform.

Thein Zaw was arrested as he was photographing police, some of them armed, charging down a street at anti-coup protesters....