Myanmar verdict a 'major step backward', says Reuters' Adler

Detained Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo arrive at Insein court in Yangon, Myanmar August 27, 2018. REUTERS/Myo Kyaw Soe

SINGAPORE (Reuters) - Myanmar's verdict on Monday jailing two Reuters reporters for seven years on charges of breaching an official secrets act is a major step backward in the southeast Asian nation's transition to democracy, the agency's Editor in Chief Stephen J Adler said.

"Today is a sad day for Myanmar, Reuters journalists Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, and the press everywhere," Adler said in a statement.