Myanmar has claimed that two journalists of Reuters got punishment from an independent court that followed due process.
Myanmar’s government spokesman Zaw Htay came up with the statement at a news conference in Naypyitaw on Friday, reports Reuters.
This is the first public comments of Myanmar government, after international calls for the pair to be released, over the case since the verdict.
“The Reuters case is the decision of the court and the court is independent,” he said.
The spokesman said he would not comment further to avoid committing contempt of court.
A judge on Monday found Wa Lone, 32, and Kyaw Soe Oo, 28, guilty of breaching the law on state secrets and sentenced them to seven years in prison.
The verdict was criticised by senior United Nations officials and governments including the United States, Britain and Bangladesh, as well as press freedom advocates in Myanmar and around the world.
The journalists, who pleaded not guilty, were investigating the killing of 10 Rohingya Muslim villagers by the Myanmar security forces at the time of their arrest in December.
A crackdown by Myanmar soldiers and police in response to militant attacks last year drove about 700,000 Rohingya to flee western Myanmar for Bangladesh, according to UN agencies.
