Australia rejects the court ruling in Burma (also known as Myanmar) against Australian Professor Sean Turnell and calls for his immediate release, Foreign Minister Penny Wong said on Friday.
A closed court in military-ruled Burma on Thursday sentenced deposed leader Aung San Suu Kyi and Turnell to three years in prison on charges of violating the official secrets act, a source familiar with the proceedings said. The source declined to be identified due to the sensitivity of the issue.
“The Australian government has consistently rejected the charges against Professor Turnell during the more than 19 months he had been unjustly detained by the Myanmar military regime,” she said, adding Australia will continue to advocate for his release and return to Australia.
Both Suu Kyi and Turnell had pleaded not guilty to the charges they faced, which carry a maximum sentence of 14 years.
