One Sudanese court sentences imprisonment for al-Jazeera correspondent

The Khartoum North criminal court sentenced the correspondent of al-Jazeera TV in Khartoum, Islam Saleh, for one month imprisonment and paying a penalty under the charges of disseminating false news concerning the national security forces.

The court also convicted the correspondent under the charge of opposing customs officers and sentenced him to pay a penalty of almost 400 dollars.

Abdul Salaam al-Jazouli, the defendant lawyer for Islam Saleh said that he did not expect the issuance of such a verdict agains his client and stressed he will appeal the sentence.

The spokesman for al-Jazeera TV Jihad Ballout described what had happened as "regrettable and unexpected." He said that al-Jazeera finds no justification over what had happened.