Thein Zaw told the Associated Press by phone after a court hearing Wednesday that all charges had been dropped because he was doing his job at the time of his arrest.
“I’m looking forward to meeting my family members,” he told the news agency. “I’m sorry for some colleagues who are still in prison.”
Thein Zaw was arrested during a street protest in Yangon on February 27. He had been charged with violating a public order law that carries a sentence of up to three years in prison, according to the Associated Press.
“The Associated Press is deeply relieved that AP journalist Thein Zaw has been released from prison in Myanmar,” International News Vice President Ian Phillips said in a statement to CNN Business.
“Our relief is tempered by the fact that there are additional journalists detained. We urge Myanmar to release all journalists and allow them to report freely and safely on what is happening in the interior of the country,” Phillips added. .
Scott Griffen, deputy director of the International Press Institute, said the group “celebrates the release of Thein Zaw, who was arrested for doing his job as a journalist and should never have been behind bars.” .
“The military junta must stop all forms of media harassment and intimidation covering protests against the coup and end restrictions on publication and dissemination by the country’s media,” he added.
Myanmar’s army took power on February 1 after claiming that last year’s elections were marred by fraud. The coup meant a return to the military government, which suffocated the country for decades before some democratic freedoms were introduced around 2010.
The military has responded to the protests with growing violence and efforts to stifle communications. Internet access has been restricted, journalists have been arrested and some newspapers have been banned from publishing.
– Charles Riley contributed to the notification.