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Alerts - Morocco

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Morocco

Rapper sentenced to one year in prison for criticising police

Mouad Belghouat, better known as “al-Haqed”, has been in pretrial custody since March 29 because of his rap song “Kilab ed-Dowla” (Dogs of the State), which denounces police corruption, and a YouTube video set to the song.

Morocco

Rapper arrested for critical lyrics

In one of his songs, Megaz El Haked criticised the political situation in the country, which authorities considered a defamatory statement against public officials.

Morocco

Appeal court extends online critic's sentence

Walid Bahomane's sentence has been extended from one year to 18 months in prison, while Abdelsamad Haydour's sentence of three years' imprisonment was confirmed on appeal.

Morocco

Security forces crack down on peaceful protest

Beni Bouayach, one of the most poverty-stricken regions of the country, has been the site of regular demonstrations since the beginning of March, where protesters have called for equality and social justice in the face of what they deem to be exclusion practiced by the authorities.

Morocco

Student handed one year prison sentence for posting cartoon of the king on Facebook

Authorities also banned the distribution of the 26 February issue of "El País" on the grounds that it contained defamatory statements “attacking His Majesty’s image and the country’s institutions.”

Morocco

Authorities urged to drop prosecutions over vote boycott

Despite the government's denial of the arrests, at least two groups of activists face trial for distributing leaflets calling for a boycott of the elections.

Morocco

Activist sentenced for "insulting" the king

Abdul-Samad al-Haidour was sentenced to three years in prison and fined for critical comments he made in a video clip disseminated on YouTube.

Morocco / Iran

French magazine censored for publishing images from "Persepolis"

Morocco withstood pressure from Iranian authorities to ban the film in May 2008 and it was shown in the Meknes International Festival of Animated Film as well as the Casablance Film Festival in 2007.

Morocco

Journalist barred from his office

Radwan Hifani was denied access to his office due to his publicly-expressed solidarity with Rachid Nini, the imprisoned editor-in-chief of "el-Masaa" newspaper.

Mauritania / Morocco

Moroccan journalist expelled

The authorities have given no reason for the expulsion of Abdelhafiz al-Baqali, who has been working in the capital for two years.

Morocco

Police question over 100 people in advance of parliamentary vote

The rate of voter participation is being closely watched because it is seen as a gauge of public enthusiasm for the reforms that King Mohammed VI initiated during 2011.

Morocco

Appeal court upholds editor's prison sentence

On 24 October, an appeal court upheld Rachid Nini's one-year prison sentence and 1,000 dirham fine.

Morocco

ANHRI condemns attack on headquarters of newspaper

Thirty female protesters and children, backed by 3 figures known for their hostility to the 20 February movement, tried to storm the headquarters of the independent daily newspaper "Akhbar Al-Youm."

Morocco

Human rights provisions in revised Constitution should protect right to demonstrate, says Human Rights Watch

Since Moroccans began demonstrating in February to demand major political reforms, police have responded on several occasions with extreme brutality.

Morocco

Information minister has two Dubai TV journalists fired

Omar and Jalal Makhfi were fired on 21 June because the latter referred on the air to opposition calls for protests against the Moroccan referendum on a proposed constitutional reform.

Morocco

Casablanca court sentences newspaper editor to one year in prison

Rachid Nini, who has been detained since 28 April, was tried on charges of disinformation and attacking state institutions, public figures and the "security and integrity of the nation and citizens".

Morocco

Cultural television programme suspended

The decision to suspend the "Masharif" programme may be linked to the fact that a series about the political movement in Morocco and the 20th February Movement has been in the works.

Morocco

Authorities urged to restore accreditation to Al Jazeera

The decision to withhold media credentials appears to have been motivated by government displeasure with the news organisation's coverage of the Western Sahara conflict.

Morocco

CPJ calls on Moroccan authorities to allow Spanish journalists to work freely

CPJ is alarmed by an increasing climate of hostility for Spanish journalists, highlighted by official measures to prevent them from covering clashes in the Western Sahara.

Morocco

IFJ condemns spate of attacks on journalists

Spanish reporters Antonio Parra and Edouardo Marin were set upon by some members of the public as they were taking photos at the trial of seven Sahrawi activists.

Morocco

Authorities suspend Al-Jazeera operations indefinitely

The government withdrew accreditations from Al-Jazeera staff, according to CPJ.

Morocco

Magazine succumbs to financial pressure from advertising boycott

"Nichane" magazine has been forced to close after pro-government companies refused to buy advertising space because they disagreed with its editorial line.

Morocco

Editor sentenced to six months' imprisonment on spurious fraud charges

"It's clear that I am paying today for my paper's editorial line," said Taoufik Bouachrine.

Morocco

Environmental journalist sentenced to two years in prison for exposing illegal cedar trafficking ring

Mohammed Attaoui was officially charged with extorting 1,000 dirhams, but his arrest appears to be part of a set up, says RSF.

Morocco

Blogger Boubaker Al-Yadib sentenced to six months in prison

The blogger was sentenced for "degradation of state property", "threatening a public official" and "participation in an illegal demonstration".

Morocco

Country's most critical publication faces closure

Liquidators took control of "Le Journal Hebdomadaire" after a Casablanca court declared that the publication's former publishing group and its current one were bankrupt.

Morocco

Sentences against editor and cartoonist upheld, then overturned

Fines and jail sentences against an editor and cartoonist were upheld by a Casablanca court, then overturned by the prince who initiated the lawsuit against them.

Morocco

Jail sentences for blogger and Internet café owner

A court in Guelmim sentenced El Bachir Hazzam and Abdullah Boukfou for circulating information about a heavy-handed crackdown on student protests.

Morocco

Court bans "Al Masheel" newspaper

Three "Al Masheel" journalists were previously sentenced following the publication of articles on the health of King Mohammed VI.

Morocco

Press freedom "disappointingly absent from agenda" of visiting US Secretary of State; another editor given suspended sentence

"Press freedom in Morocco is getting worse, not better, and world leaders such as Mrs. Clinton seem to fall silent on the issue," said IPI.

Morocco

Suspended jail terms, exorbitant damages award against newspaper publisher and cartoonist

A Casablanca court ordered Taoufiq Bouachrine and Khalid Gueddar to pay 270,000 euros in damages to Prince Moulay Ismaïl, a cousin of the king.

Morocco

Editor imprisoned, court upholds decision to close independent paper

CPJ strongly condemns the decision of a Rabat court to imprison the managing editor of "Al-Michaal" newspaper for one year.

Morocco

Paper closed amid increasing attacks on the press

CPJ condemns the closure of an independent daily amid an escalating government campaign to silence critical journalists.

Morocco

Journalists interrogated over article on king's health

Over the course of three days the two journalists underwent five interrogation sessions in which they were pressed to reveal their sources.

Morocco

ANHRI director denied entry to Morocco

The Moroccan government has prevented Gamal Eid, ANHRI's executive director, from entering Morocco.

Morocco

IFJ condemns seizure of magazines

IFJ strongly condemns the order issued by the Minister of the Interior to seize and destroy over 100,000 copies of two weeklies after they carried the results of an opinion poll on King Mohammed VI's decade on the throne.

Morocco

Editor, NGO manager charged with "insult to God"

An editor and a human rights organization manager were charged with "hesba" for publishing an article about a scandal involving the king's aunts.

Libya / Morocco

In Qaddafi case, Moroccan court hands down harsh judgment

CPJ condemns a Moroccan court decision to impose heavy fines and damages on three independent dailies for "publicly harming" Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi.

Morocco

Human rights activist sentenced to three years in prison

Chekib El-Khayari, who had criticised public officials for alleged complicity in drug trafficking, was convicted of "gravely insulting state institutions".

Morocco

Group sues independent journalist on behalf of Moroccan royals

CPJ is deeply concerned by defamation charges filed against editor Driss Chahtan.

Morocco

Five journalists face charges of defaming Libyan president

Under Article 52 of Morocco's press law, the journalists face up to one year in jail and fines up to 100,000 dirhams (US$12,090) if convicted on the defamation charges.

Morocco

New charges against detained activist

The continuing detention of Chekib el-Khayari shows the stark limits to Morocco's tolerance for criticism, Human Rights Watch said

Libya / Morocco

Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi launches legal action against three Moroccan newspapers

President Gaddafi to work full time on persecuting Arab Journalists!

Morocco

Appeal court increases sentence for blogger Hassan Barhoun

The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information condemns the harsh ruling by a Court of Appeal in the Moroccan city of Tetuan to increase the sentence on journalist and blogger Hassan Barhoun from six months in prison to ten.

Morocco

Independent newspaper "Al-Jarida al-Oula" fined twice over the same article for "defamation" and "insulting judiciary"

(CPJ/IFEX) - The following is a 26 March 2009 CPJ press release:

Morocco

Human rights activist Chekib el-Khayari still detained, under investigation for "undermining" state institutions, accepting foreign funds; local authorities block peaceful meetings to mobilise support

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is an abridged 19 March 2009 Human Rights Watch press release:

Morocco

Journalist, blogger Hassan Barhoum sentenced to six months in prison and fined for denouncing corruption

(ANHRI/IFEX) - The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information condemns the harsh ruling by Tetuan misdemeanors court against journalist and blogger Hassan Barhoun for allegedly circulating false news. On 6 March 2009, in a hasty trial that took only one hearing session, the court sentenced him to six months in prison and a 5,000 Moroccan dirham fine (approx. US$570). Some lawyers withdrew from the session while other lawyers could not fully submit their pleas, casting doubt upon the justice of the court.

Morocco

Anti-corruption journalist and blogger Hassan Barhoun arrested

(ANHRI/IFEX) - The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) expressed concern that the arrest of blogger and journalist Hassan Barhoun on 26 February 2009 may be an attempt to punish the journalist and cover up reports of corruption exposed through his YouTube initiative Journalists Without Limits. In the reports, Barhoun links official figures to a drug baron in Tetuan, Morocco.

Morocco

Human rights activist Chekib el-Khiari held incommunicado after discussing sensitive issues on television, police search his home

(HRW/IFEX) - The following is an 18 February 2009 Human Rights Watch press release:

Spain / Morocco

WPFC submits written comments before European Court of Human Rights in the case of Spanish journalist José Luis Gutiérrez

(WPFC/IFEX) - The following is a 15 January 2009 WPFC press release:

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