(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned “Morocco’s resolve to silence Ali Lmrabet” after an appeals court upheld a ten-year ban on his working as a journalist. The organisation called the sentence “a cowardly move, demonstrating the limits of press freedom in Morocco.” On 23 June 2005, an appeals court upheld the ten-year ban and fine of […]
(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned “Morocco’s resolve to silence Ali Lmrabet” after an appeals court upheld a ten-year ban on his working as a journalist. The organisation called the sentence “a cowardly move, demonstrating the limits of press freedom in Morocco.”
On 23 June 2005, an appeals court upheld the ten-year ban and fine of 50,000 dirhams (approx. US$5,430; 4,500 euros). In addition, the journalist is obliged to publish the verdict for 21 days in the Arabic-language daily “Al Ahdath Al Maghribia”. At eight pages, the move will cost Lmrabet up to 100,000 euros (approx. US$120,680). On 12 April, the prosecutor appealed a lower court verdict, considering the sentence too light. The move was a surprising one, given that the case had been brought before the court through a direct summons.
“I think that in a country like Morocco where everyone knows the judiciary kowtows to the government, this ruling is invalid,” Lmrabet told RSF. “This will not stop me setting up my own weekly newspaper in Morocco.”
