Ahmed Abba is a journalist with Radio France who received the International Press Freedom Award while in prison after sentenced for 10 years by a Cameroon military tribunal.
Ahmed who was proud recipient of the prestigious award (being the only African) has got his jail term reduced from 10 years to 24 months by an appeal court in Yaoundé.
After already serving a 24 months term, it is expected that Ahmed could be released before December ending.
He is one of the few who has won this award since its inception in 1991.
The annual prize is awarded by media rights body Committee to Protect Journalists, CPJ to honor journalists who show courage in defending press freedom despite facing threats or imprisonment.
Abba was sentenced for non-denunciation of terrorism and laundering of the proceeds of terrorist acts after his arrest on July 30, 2015 in Maroua, suspected of collaboration with Boko Haram and withholding information.
He was ferried to Yaounde, where he spent more than 600 days.
He was also fined 55,726,325 CFA francs (over $90,000) or face five extra years in prison in default of payment. Amnesty International described his conviction and sentencing as an unfair trial is a travesty of justice.
He however escaped a controversial death penalty in the December 2014 anti-terrorism law for perpetrators or accomplices of terrorist acts.
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