NIAMEY (Reuters) - A court in Niger has jailed a local journalist for two months for publishing a report which suggested the country's state treasurer could face charges of embezzlement.
Siddo Elhadj, who as state treasurer is a public servant in charge of the treasury, filed a complaint after the privately owned "Le Visionnaire" reported he might stand trial for embezzling almost 17 billion (17.3 million pounds) CFA francs.
The court also ordered Abdoulkarim Salifou Soumaila, the weekly's managing editor, late on Friday to pay a nominal 1 CFA franc in damages to Elhadj.
Niger's government has said it plans to decriminalise violations of press laws and is currently considering a bill to amend the relevant legislation.
"In announcing this sentence, the justice system has taken a great step back in freedom of expression and opinion in our country," said Oumarou Keita, secretary general of Niger's private journalists' union.
