| GENEVA, March 22, 2019 – Jailed Reuters journalists Kyaw Soe Oo and Ko Wa Lone will be honored at an international human rights summit next week in Geneva, Switzerland, before an estimated crowd of 800 diplomats, human rights activists, journalists and students. A coalition of 25 human rights organizations will shine an international spotlight on the case of the two journalists who were unjustly convicted and sentenced to seven years in prison for reporting on the plight of the Rohingya minority in Myanmar, in a special program at the 11th annual Geneva Summit for Human Rights and Democracy on Tuesday, March 26. The courageous commitment of the two Reuters reporters from Myanmar will be a focal point at the summit when two empty chairs will be placed symbolically on stage during a panel titled “Confronting Oppression, Defending Human Rights.” The journalists’ portraits (shown below) will also be displayed in a special exhibit from German art collective Wahrheitskämpfer (“Truth Fighters”), which seeks to honor assassinated and persecuted journalists by painting and displaying their portraits. Admission to this year’s summit on March 26 is free and open to the public, but registration is mandatory. For accreditation, program, and schedule information, visit www.genevasummit.org. The conference will also be available via live webcast. |
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Kyaw Soe Oo
by Susanne Köhler -
Ko Wa Lone
by Marcus Schneider
| For media inquiries and interview requests, please contact us at media@genevasummit.org. |
