Sign the petition for Zarganar’s release

Reporters Without Borders reiterates its call for the release of Zarganar, a dissident blogger and comedian who was jailed a year ago today on a charge of disturbing public order. He was given a 45-year jail sentence by special court inside Insein prison last November and then received an additional 14-year sentence a few days later. The combined jail terms were reduced to 35 years on 16 February. “The sentence alone shows that Zarganar has been subjected to a travesty of justice,” Reporters Without Borders said. “Do you give such a long jail term just for ‘disturbing public order’? The military government had him arrested and then denied him due process because he had become a reliable source of information in a country throttled by censorship and repression.” The press freedom organisation added: “The conditions in which Zarganar is being held are very bad and his health is deteriorating steadily. These are additional reasons why he must be released.” Suffering from jaundice and hypertension, Zarganar is not getting access to adequate medical care in Myintkyina prison, to which he was transferred in December. Known as the “Burmese Charlie Chaplin,” Zarganar defended human rights and criticised the military government in his sketches and in the blog he had been keeping since August 2007, in which he contrasted the regime’s corruption and privileges with the widespread poverty. Previously arrested in September 2007 for supporting the peaceful demonstrations being staged by Buddhist monks, he had been forbidden since 2006 to embark on new artistic activities, including theatre and filmmaking. He was arrested again after giving an interview to the BBC about the situation of the victims of Cyclone Nargis in May 2008. Zarganar and Nay Phone Latt, a blogger who was arrested on 29 January 2008 in possession of a banned video, were the joint winners of the 2008 Reporters Without Borders press freedom prize in the “cyber-dissident” category. Sign the petition for Zarganar’s release