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American journalist Danny Fenster, freed after nearly six months in jail in military-ruled Burma, said he feels "incredibly fortunate" to be back home in suburban Detroit after his uncertain time behind bars.
Fenster, 37, was greeted by family and friends Tuesday night as he returned to Huntington Woods. He was sentenced last week to 11 years of hard labor in Burma, but was handed over Monday to former U.S. diplomat Bill Richardson, who helped negotiate his release.
He had been in detention since his arrest at Yangon International Airport on May 24.
AMERICAN JOURNALIST FREED FROM BURMA JAIL WITH HELP FROM EX-DIPLOMAT
Danny Fenster, second from left, is greeted by his immediate family after he arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
"I feel incredibly fortunate to be home, I can’t believe the amount of effort that went into it that was necessary to make this happen – overwhelming gratitude," said Fenster, who returned to the U.S. earlier Tuesday on a flight that landed in New York.
Fenster, the managing editor of online magazine Frontier Myanmar, is one of more than 100 journalists, media officials or publishers who have been detained since the Burma military ousted the elected government of Nobel laureate Aung San Suu Kyi in February.
He was convicted of spreading false or inflammatory information, contacting illegal organizations and violating visa regulations. Days before his conviction, Fenster learned he had been charged with additional violations that put him at risk of a life sentence.
Danny Fenster, left, is greeted by his parents, Rose and Buddy Fenster, after he arrived at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Now bearded and shaggy-haired, Fenster said he passed his time in jail by doing "a lot of reading. A lot of sitting around thinking and staring at walls."
He said bi-weekly visits from his wife kept him sane during his incarceration. She remains in Burma, but is expected to be back in the U.S. before Thanksgiving.
"She came when they let her, which was every other week, and delivered a huge food parcel to me and we wrote each other love letters," he said.
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Danny Fenster hugs his mother Rose Fenster as Bill Richardson looks on at John F. Kennedy Airport in New York, Tuesday, Nov. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Seth Wenig)
Fenster said his release would not have been possible without help from his older brother, Bryan, saying he worked tirelessly with U.S. Rep. Andy Levin, D-Mich., and others to secure his release.
"We’ve always been incredibly close," he said of his brother.
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