A Myanmar court on Friday convicted American journalist Danny Fenster of three charges, including immigration violations, and sentenced him to prison for 11 years — the harshest possible sentences for those crimes under the law.

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       The punitive treatment of Fenster, a 37-year-old Detroit native, has been widely condemned by advocates of press freedom, the American government and the international community, as the Myanmar military continues a campaign of imprisoning journalists and activists after taking power in a February coup.

       Fenster is still facing two more serious charges, that of terrorism and sedition, which were just added and have not yet been heard. They carry sentences of up to life in prison.

       American journalist is detained by Myanmar regime while trying to leave country

       Fenster was seized at Yangon International Airport in May as he tried to board a flight to Kuala Lumpur and was taken to Insein Prison. He was working as the managing editor for Frontier Myanmar, a news outlet focused on Myanmar, at the time.

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       The prison is notorious for its poor conditions and has been used by Myanmar’s military government to hold scores of political prisoners. He was excluded from an amnesty of more than 5,000 prisoners, including anti-coup protesters, last month.

       Two other foreign journalists held in Myanmar in the wake of the February coup, American journalist Nathan Maung and Japanese journalist Yuki Kitazumi have since been released.

       On Friday, after a trial in a court inside Insein Prison that was closed to the public, he was sentenced to 11 years on charges including a violation of the immigration act and the unlawful associations act. During the trial, the prosecution argued that official records did not accurately reflect where he was employed, as the ruling junta seeks to establish that he was working for Myanmar Now, a different outlet that was banned in the country after the coup.

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       A statement from Frontier Myanmar said the court “disregarded a significant amount of evidence of his employment at Frontier, including tax and social security records and testimony from a Frontier employee.

       “There is absolutely no basis to convict Danny of these charges. His legal team clearly demonstrated to the court that he had resigned from Myanmar Now and was working for Frontier from the middle of last year,” said Thomas Kean, Frontier‘s editor in chief.

       “Everyone at Frontier is disappointed and frustrated at this decision. We just want to see Danny released as soon as possible so he can go home to his family,” Kean said.

       Fenster is one of over a hundred journalists that have been detained since the coup. Several dozen remain behind bars, as the ruling Myanmar military seeks to silence all critical voices in the country. Newspaper offices have been raided and journalists have been driven out of the country, many seeking refuge in neighboring Thailand.

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       Frontier Myanmar is an award-winning news and business magazine which publishes both in English and Myanmar. In October, the magazine announced it would be ceasing publication of the print edition for the foreseeable future, and would temporarily suspend the online version as well as on social media platforms, citing a hostile climate for journalism in Myanmar.

       Frontier Myanmar continues to operate through newsletters sent to subscribers.

       Fenster’s family have repeatedly called on the U.S. government to secure his release. In a previous interview, Bryan Fenster, his brother, said Danny “cares tremendously about journalism as an art form but also the responsibility that comes with it to make the world a better place.”