Reporters Without Borders has learned that a prison term is not being sought for freelance photographer Jason Nicholas.

His lawyer, Wylie Stecklow, stated yesterday: "While the Department of Parole was seeking 12 months incarceration, all of the letters submitted in support of Jason and the testimonies of the rehabilitation that Jason has made, swayed the Court to recommend revoke and restore."

Revoke and restore indicates that Nicholas’s parole was initially revoked but will be immediately restored. He will be released back to supervised parole. This recommendation will now be reviewed by the Parole Board. If three members agree, Nicholas will be released in the coming weeks.

Reporters Without Borders welcomes the Department of Parole’s decision : "Both the judge and the Department seem to understand the specifics of this case and the fact that Jason Nicholas’s successful rehabilitation should not be jeopardized neither by a technicality linked to his parole’s conditions nor by pending charges linked to an abusive arrest while he was performing his job as a reporter."

The press freedom organization is asking that the City of St.Paul drop the Obstruction of Legal Process charges placed against Mr. Nicholas after the mass arrests that occurred at Republican National Convention. Most charges against other journalists in St.Paul have already been dropped.

Related Links

Journalist arrested during Republican National Convention faces over one year in prison for parole violation, Reporters sans frontieres (October 15th, 2008)

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