Bruno Thomas, a French journalist working for Auto Plus, was charged with industrial espionage after his magazine published photos of a new Renault model that is to be released in three years and risks being imprisoned for five years, AFP reported.

Laurent Chiapello, Auto Plus's editor-in-chief, said that the matter was "blown out of proportion" and that the journalist was "simply doing his job, that is finding new information to better  inform the reader."

Police raided the Auto Plus Paris offices on Tuesday, taking away computer hard disks and photos. The reporter was then detained for two days by the police.

"Holding Thomas for 48 hours was outrageous, and charging him on five counts is just a ploy by the police and judicial authorities to get him to reveal his sources. Once again, a basic principle of journalism is being flouted," said Reporters Without Borders.

A Renault employee who helped Thomas get the photographs was charged on Friday.

Source: AFP, Reporters Without Borders