Congolese journalist convicted of spreading false information expected to be freed soon

GOMA, Congo (AP) — Reporters Without Borders says Congolese journalist Stanis Bujakera was set to be freed soon after being sentenced to six months in prison for spreading false information among other charges. He had been jailed more than six months waiting for trial. The court in Kinshasa that found him guilty Monday also fined him $360. Bujakera worked for Actualité.CD, a Congolese news site, and Jeune Afrique, a Paris-based magazine, among others. Bujakera denied all the charges. He had faced up to 20 years in prison. He was accused of fabricating a memo that implicated a Congolese intelligence official in the murder of an opposition spokesman. Actualité.CD said it stood behind Bujakera’s reporting and called on his lawyers to appeal the guilty verdict.