175 journalists charged with a crime The military brought charges against journalists to give a pretense of due process to arbitrary detentions as part of a wider charade to justify their legitimacy to govern. The military charged at least 175 journalists with a crime during the period under review.30 A further seven journalists were awaiting charges while being held under detention. The following table shows that a minority of charged journalists were later released (30%), compared to almost half who were tried and convicted (49%). It is unclear whether the charges had been dropped against those released. Current Situation of Charged Journalists 19% 2% 30% 49% Charged in absentia Awaiting trial Charged but later released Charged, convicted & sentenced ‘‘ The military charged at least 175 journalists with a crime during the period under review. A further seven journalists were awaiting charges while being held under detention. Not every detained journalist was charged. A substantial minority of the 221 journalists detained since the coup started were later released without charge (38%). Media observers noted that detained journalists were fearful of being charged because charges meant lengthy trials, high conviction rates, and longer prison time.31 Journalists facing likely charges were concerned about being charged under more punitive provisions with extremely disproportionate sentences of over 10 years. 238 CHARGES UNDER NINE LAWS Myanmar has a wide range of laws that violate international guarantees for the rights to freedom of expression and association (see Annex I). The 175 charged journalists faced a combined total of 238 charges under 24 criminal provisions in 30 More may have been charged in absentia but the military stopped publishing arrest warrants and charges lists. 31 Key informant interviews with four media leaders carried out on 28 September 2023. Assessing Detentions of Journalists in Myanmar, Feb. 2021 to Feb. 2025 10