Japan distances itself from report its envoy helped free U.S. reporter

FILE PHOTO: Managing editor of online magazine Frontier Myanmar, U.S. journalist Danny Fenster, is pictured in an unknown location in this undated handout picture made available to Reuters on November 12, 2021. Frontier Myanmar/Handout via REUTERS

TOKYO (Reuters) -Japan on Tuesday distanced itself from a visit to Myanmar by its special envoy during which, according to military-run media in Myanmar, he played a role in the release from jail of U.S. journalist Danny Fenster.

Fenster, 37, the managing editor of magazine Frontier Myanmar, was freed https://www.reuters.com/world/american-journalist-fenster-out-prison-myanmar-employer-says-2021-11-15 on Monday three days after being sentenced to 11 years for incitement and violations of laws on immigration and unlawful assembly.