29 June 2006
Alert
Brazzaville court suspends newspaper for six months
(JED/IFEX) - In a 28 June 2006 verdict pronounced by a Brazzaville court, the Brazzaville-based weekly "Thalassa" was banned from publication for six months. In addition, the court ordered the incineration of all the copies of the paper's edition that featured an article judged to be slanderous towards Denis Sassou Nguesso, the country's president.
The public prosecutor had sought a one-year prison sentence with no parole against "Thalassa" publication director Fortuné Bemba, and payment of a one million CFA Franc (approx. US$1,900) fine. The country's 2001 communications law does not allow for imprisonment for press offences.
The journalist has appealed the verdict.
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