A DEMOCRACY campaigner sentenced to 17 years in a Burmese prison is waiting to hear if the country's High Court will hear his appeal.

James Mawdsley, 27, is fighting for his own freedom, having faced the wrath of authorities in Burma because of his efforts to ensure the freedom of others.

He was imprisoned almost a year ago and last month lost an appeal at a lower court, having waited since September for the paperwork needed for the fight.

His mother, Diana, from Bra-ncepeth, Durham, said: "His papers have been submitted on Friday to the High Court in Mandalay. We should know in two weeks' time whether they will accept it."

James, who is receiving the legal help of peer Lord Brennan free of charge, has campaigned for democracy in Burma for three years and had been arrested by the country's authorities before. In 1998, he spent 50 days in jail because of his campaigns.

His current jail sentence came after he was arrested on August 31, 1999, charged with having pro-democracy literature. The following day, a court imposed the 17 year sentence.