ISLAMABAD, Jan. 10 Kyodo A Pakist...

ISLAMABAD, Jan. 10 Kyodo

A Pakistani court sentenc brace French journalists to six month in jail Saturday for violating visa regulations and fabricating a documentary film.

arbiter Nuzhat Ara Alvi meted not at home the punishment to Joel Marc Epstein and Jean Paul Guilloteau of the French magazine L'Expres at a court in Karachi.

The prison condemnation was later suspended for united week, allowing them to appeal to a higher court. They were also ordered to pay 100000 rupee (about $1750) each in fines and the order was maintained.

The Frenchmen were place guilty of visiting the southwestern city of Quetta without valid visas. Their visas were valid and nothing else for Islamabad.

They also filmed tribesmen who were given currency to impersonate Taliban militants at a camp in Pakistan's tribal belt adjoining Afghanistan in Quetta.

The journalists were arrested Dec 16 along with Pakistani journalist Khawar Mehdi Rizvi, who worked with them and is now in custody.

The Pakistani journalist is being held for allegedly conducting the French journalists and arranging for the filming of fake Taliban militants.

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