Two Reuters journalists who were detained in Myanmar were released Monday evening.
Wa Lone, 33, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 29, were arrested in late 2017 for obtaining “important secret papers” from police officers and in September were convicted and sentenced to seven years in jail for violating the colonial-era Official Secrets Act.
After more than 500 days behind bars, the pair were released from prison in Yangon upon receiving a presidential pardon.
“I’m really happy and excited to see my family and my colleagues. I can’t wait to go to my newsroom,” Wa Lone said as he flashed a thumbs up to onlookers and media.
Before their arrest, the reporters had covered the crisis in Rakhine, where hundreds of thousands of Rohingya Muslims have escaped into nearby Bangladesh following a military crackdown after police posts were attacked by Rohingya insurgents. They were awarded a Pulitzer Prize for international reporting in April,
“Today is the day we expected,” said Chit Su Win, the wife of Kyaw Soe Oo. “Now, they can receive the Pulitzer Prize themselves. I truly thanks to the government who let them free. I don’t hold any grudge. I really thank to government. It’s time for a reunion for our families.”
Human rights groups had called for their release, and Reuters maintained that the two men did not commit any crimes.
