Myanmar Court Accepts Testimony of Policeman Who Said Reuters Reporters Framed

Myanmar Court Accepts Testimony of Policeman Who Said Reuters Reporters Framed
A man writes a goodwill message on a poster depicting detained Reuters reporters Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo at an event discussing press freedom, in Yangon, Myanmar, May 1, 2018. Reuters/Ann Wang
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YANGON---A judge in Myanmar declared on Wednesday that a witness who said two Reuters reporters accused of possessing state secrets were framed by police was credible, dealing a blow to the prosecution in what has become a landmark press freedom case.

In what defence lawyers said was a key ruling in favour of the two reporters, the judge accepted the testimony of Police Captain Moe Yan Naing, who said a senior officer had ordered police to “trap” one of the two journalists arrested in December.