Director Clément Adéchian and reporter Cécil Adjévi of the independent daily L'Informateur served two months of a six-month criminal libel sentence stemming from an August 2006 story accusing a court bailiff of rape. They were set free in February after retracting the story under pressure.

In February, three journalists and an executive of the leading private media group Golfe received six-month prison terms and fines in connection with a 2005 story alleging corruption in the government of former President Mathieu Kérékou. All four were free pending an appeal.

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