HUNTINGTON WOODS (WWJ) -- Danny Fenster is back home, and he feels immense gratitude to those who made his return a reality.
Landing in New York on Tuesday morning, the journalist reunited with his family and friends for the first time since being imprisoned in Myanmar back in May.
"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," he told reporters.
Just several days before his release, the Huntington Woods native had been sentenced to 11 years in Myanmar prison on charges that included breaching immigration law, unlawful association and encouraging dissent against the military.
He was freed on Monday after former U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. and New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson negotiated his release.
During his nearly six months behind bars, Fenster said that reading, weight lifting and bi-weekly visits from his wife Juliana kept him going.
"She delivered a huge food parcel to me and we wrote each other love letters keeping me focused on staying sane and getting out of there," he said.
Fenster’s wife remains in Myanmar, though she will reportedly return to metro Detroit for Thanksgiving.
The 37-year-old international journalist also gives credit to his family for their tireless efforts to bring him home, specifically his brother Bryan Fenster, who led the charge with US Rep. Andy Levin, the media, and others.
"We've always been incredibly close," he said of his brother. "But his work ethic, and our love for each other – it aligned [and] he made this happen."
Fenster was arrested on May 24, 2021 at Yangon International Airport just before he was set to board a flight to Malaysia.
The prosecution alleged that he was working for news agency Myanmar Now, despite the fact he resigned in July 2020 and joined Frontier Magazine.
Fenster says after some much-needed rest, he plans to continue his work as a journalist.
Now back home in metro Detroit, Fenster also revealed there are two moments and three little words he’ll remember for the rest of his life.
"Walking on the plane the envoy taking me home and the sign 'Welcome to Detroit,' those are just two of the moments permanently pressed into my brain," he said. "Two of the greatest moments I can ever remember feeling."
Related
