Mizzima News

Chiang Mai (Mizzima) – The appeal cases of famous comedian and film director Zargan a.k.a. Thura and Sports Journal editor Zaw Thet Htwe has been admitted by the High Court.

Zargana and Zaw Thet Htwe are serving 35 and 11 years in prison respectively. Their lawyers filed the appeal case for the second time and the High Court admitted it on June 3.

“We can submit our argument for admitting our appeal case. The court has accepted it for all the four co-accused. The lawyers filed the appeal and we have hope. Our families will do everything,” Ma Khaing Cho, wife of Zaw Thet Htwe, said.

The co-accused of Zargana and Zaw Thet Htwe are Thant Zin Aung and Gadone a.k.a. Tin Maung Aye.

They were charged under eight cases including section 33(a) of the Electronic Law, section 505(b) of the Penal Code (disaffection towards State and Government) and section 295(a) of the Penal Code. Zaw Thet Htwe was sentenced to 19 years and Zargana was sentenced to 59 years in prison respectively.

However, the Divisional Court commuted the sentences of Zaw Thet Htwe by eight years and Zargana by 24 years. So they have to serve the remaining prison terms of 11 and 35 years.

Zaw Thet Htwe is serving his sentence in Taungyi prison in Shan State. His wife met him on June 7 in a prison interview and said that his health is fine.

But the High Court dismissed a similar appeal case of blogger Nay Phone Latt after allowing the lawyers to argue on June 22.

Nay Phone Latt was sentenced to a total of 20 years in prison after being charged under the Electronic Law. Then the Rangoon Divisional Court commuted his sentence by eight and-a-half years in February. He is serving his prison sentence in Pa-an prison in Karen State.