HANOI, July 9: Amnesty International welcomed Wednesday the release of two European journalists and their US interpreter from Laos but say the Lao nationals arrested with them are being badly tortured.

“The organization is increasingly concerned about the fate of the Lao nationals who were assisting them and who remain in detention. They have reportedly already been badly tortured,” Amnesty said in a statement.

Amnesty “has received reliable accounts that the ethnic Hmong Lao nationals were beaten with sticks and bicycle chains by police after their arrest.”

“We are gravely concerned by the reports of the torture of Pa Fue Khang, Thao Moua and Char Yang and other unnamed fellow ethnic Hmong prisoners.”

French journalist Vincent Reynaud, Belgian reporter Thierry Falise and American translator Naw Karl Mua received 15-year prison sentences on June 30 after being found guilty of “obstructing police and possessing illegal explosives”.

They were expelled to Bangkok Wednesday after 36 days in jail.—AFP