U.S. journalist Danny Fenster arrives in New York after being freed from Myanmar imprisonment


Danny Fenster was greeted by his family at Kennedy Airport in New York on Tuesday.

Fenster was arrested in the city of Yangon on May 24, and convicted last week on multiple charges, including spreading false or inflammatory information. He was sentenced to 11 years of hard labor.

On Monday, he was handed over to former U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson, who helped negotiate the release.

"We are so grateful that Danny will finally be able to reconnect with his loved ones, who have been advocating for him all this time, against immense odds," Richardson said.

A coup d'état occurred in Myanmar in February, with local military overthrowing Aung San Suu Kyi, the state counselor of Myanmar.

Since the overthrow, more than 120 journalists have been taken into custody in the country. The United Nations says more than 40 of those media members remain in custody.

"It's over. There's nothing to be anxious about anymore," Fenster added later in an interview with The Associated Press. "Any bitter, ill will, regret, anger spilled out on the tarmac when I got on that plane."

Fenster is the managing editor for Frontier Myanmar, an online publication. The 37-year-old told reporters he wasn't beaten or starved during his imprisonment.

Wearing a knit hat that he said was a gift from another prisoner, Fenster laughed that the first thing he would do is get a shave and a haircut.

But he also expressed hope his harrowing tale would help focus world attention on the suffering of the people of Myanmar, where the army has responded brutally to peaceful protests that opposed the generals' seizure of power. Security forces have killed more than 1,200 civilians and arrested about 10,000 others, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners. The takeover and the ensuing crackdown have drawn condemnation and sanctions from the United States and others.

"We are tremendously grateful to all the people who have helped secure his release, especially Ambassador Richardson, as well as our friends and the public who have expressed their support and stood by our sides as we endured these long and difficult months," Fenster's family said in a statement ahead of his arrival in the U.S.

At the airport, Fenster's mother, Rose, described the ordeal as a "nightmare," while his father, Buddy, said his son's return to the U.S. "feels great, he's safe, that's all we want."

Fenster's wife, Julianna, who is still in Myanmar, is set to reunite with him in Detroit.

The White House thanked Richardson for securing Fenster's release.

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