Panama journalists protest at jail threat

Concern is growing among journalists in Panama about the likelihood of a law being enacted that would double the jail term for the criminal offence of defamation to three years. A New York-based press freedom body, the Committee to Protect Journalists, has expressed alarm at the proposal which is awaiting approval by the president, Martín Torrijos, and his cabinet. A group of journalists, variously reported as numbering 50 to 300, staged a demonstration in Panama City to protest at the draft law. (Via cpj.org)