Niger: "Le Visionnaire" director sentenced to two months in prison

The Committee to Protect Journalists says it is deeply troubled by the continued imprisonment of Salifou Soumaila Abdoulkarim, director of the private weekly Le Visionnaire. Abdoulkarim was sentenced on Friday to two months in jail and a symbolic one-franc CFA fine for allegedly defaming State Treasurer Siddo Elhadj. "Jailing journalists for critical reporting is totally unacceptable," said CPJ Executive Director Ann Cooper. "We call on the government of Niger to release Abdoulkarim, and work toward the elimination of criminal libel."