Cameroon paper condemns jailing of editor

A prominent newspaper in Cameroon, Le Messager, has condemned the two-year jail sentence pased on its editor, Pius Njawe.

He'd been convicted of spreading false information.

The acting editor, Melvin Akam, told the BBC that his newspaper would not be intimidated and that it remained committed to investigative journalism.

Mr Njawe was sentenced yesterday for an article he published last month suggesting that Cameroon's President, Paul Biya, might have had a heart attack.

Mr Njawe's lawyers denied the charge and said he would appeal.

A Paris-based international association of newspaper editors said Mr Njawe's jailing was outrageous and marked a sad day for Cameroon and for freedom of the press in Africa.

From the newsroom of the BBC World Service