THE North-East family of jailed human rights activist James Mawdsley was last night celebrating the news he is to be released after more than a year in prison.

Burmese authorities announced yesterday they are to deport the 27-year-old pro-democracy campaigner, following diplomatic pressure over his treatment by his captors in the remote Kentung Prison.

James, previously deported twice for his support of the democracy movement, was jailed for 17 years following his arrest in August last year. He was detained at a border crossing for handing out pro-democracy leaflets, which angered the ruling military regime.

During his detention, James has staged hunger strikes to highlight the suffering of the nation's people.

His mother Diana, a nurse, of Brancepeth near Durham, is in the Burmese capital, Rangoon, after seeing him in jail last week. Her visit came less than a fortnight after it emerged James was badly beaten by prison guards for protesting at his solitary confinement.

It sparked international outrage and Foreign Secretary Robin Cook called for his immediate release.

The UN Working Group on Arbitary Detention last week asked the country's rulers to "remedy the situation".

James's sister, Dr Emma Mawdsley, a Durham University geography lecturer, summed up the feelings of the family: "It's fantastic, it's such a relief, but until he's actually released there's always an anxiety because you can't be totally sure."

Father David said: "I'm delighted. I'm choking up on this news."