Two Australians freed from house arrest in Myanmar

An Australian couple has been freed from house arrest in Myanmar and allowed to leave the country without charge.

The country has been in turmoil since a military coup on February 1 that ousted elected leader Aung San Suu Kyi. More than 2,500 people have been detained since the coup, according to the Assistance Association for Political Prisoners monitoring group.

Christa Avery and her husband Matthew O’Kane, to this end, were refused permission to leave Myanmar last month when they were about to board a flight home.

“I am, of course, incredibly relieved to have been released and to be on my way home with my husband, Matt,” Avery said in a statement. “Even though I knew that I had done nothing wrong, it was very stressful being held under house arrest for two weeks.”

Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said it had provided support for the couple's departure from Yangon on April 4.

Another Australian, Sean Turnell, an economic adviser to Suu Kyi, has been detained since shortly after the army seized power and is in prison.

Authorities have said Turnell is under investigation, but no charge has been announced against him. A lawyer for Suu Kyi said last week that he understood Turnell faced charges under the Official Secrets Act, but no charges have been confirmed.