UN rights chief welcomes release of 83 prisoners in Burma

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Zeid Bin Ra’ad, welcomed the release of a second wave of 83 prisoners in Burma (Myanmar).

Prince Zeid's Spokesperson, Ravina Shamdasani quoted him saying released prisoners include land rights activist, Naw Ohn Hla, who had been jailed six times for various peaceful protests, human rights defender Nay Myo Zin, and five journalists from the Unity newspaper who were sentenced to seven years in prison in 2014 after the publication of an article.

The list also included four labor activists convicted for supporting garment workers on strike and Htin Lin Oo, sentenced in 2015 to two years in prison with hard labour for "insulting religion" after he delivered a speech criticizing the misuse of religion to incite religious hatred.

Source ; Petra