Morocco's judiciary keeps journalists Omar Radi and Suleiman Raissouni in prison

The Moroccan Court of Cassation has rejected the request for the release of journalists Omar Radi and Soulaimane Raissouni, confirming their convictions and upholding the sentences against them, according to their lawyers, as reported by Agence France-Presse on Wednesday.

Lawyer Miloud Kandil stated that the highest court in the country "rejected our appeal yesterday and confirmed the prison sentences against Omar and Soulaimane."

Radi (37 years old) and Raissouni (51 years old) were sentenced to six and five years in prison, respectively, in two separate cases of "sexual assault" which they have denied, claiming they were subjected to a "political trial" due to their opinions. They have been detained since 2021.

Idriss Radi, Omar Radi's father, told Agence France-Presse, "We were expecting this decision despite the countless abuses that marred the trial."

He added, "We know that the judiciary is not independent in this case, but we hope for a royal pardon to close this file that has greatly harmed our country's reputation."

In Morocco, pardons are issued by the king or theoretically by parliament.

"Catastrophic Signal" -
Last week, lawyers for the detained journalists and human rights defenders in Morocco urged the authorities to find a "judicial, political, and legal solution" to restore the journalists' freedom.

The lawyers had warned about their health conditions and the "flagrant violation of basic rights" during their detention, from their point of view.

Khaled Drarni, a representative of Reporters Without Borders in North Africa, stated that the "signal sent is catastrophic."

He added that the organization calls on the Moroccan authorities "to put an end to this inhumane judicial ordeal and to release" the journalists.

Sherif Mansour, the Middle East and North Africa program coordinator at the Committee to Protect Journalists, said, "Morocco missed an opportunity to reverse its retaliatory measures against independent journalists whose voices are sorely needed in the country."

On the other hand, Aisha al-Kalaa, a feminist lawyer and president of the Association for the Rights of Victims, welcomed the verdict, considering that "Omar Radi, Soulaimane Raissouni, and their supporters are trying to politicize these cases after the facts have been proven in court."

She criticized foreign non-governmental organizations for "exploiting these cases for purely political purposes."

The decision of the Court of Cassation will not be published for several days.

Raissouni, a columnist who criticizes the authorities, was prosecuted for "sexual assault" charges filed against him by a young activist from the MeToo movement, charges he has consistently denied in court, considering himself to be on trial "because of his opinions."

After being arrested in May 2020, he did not attend most of his trial - from February to July 2021 - due to a 122-day hunger strike.

Radi, an independent journalist and human rights activist, was arrested in July 2020.

He was tried on charges of "undermining the internal security of the state... with foreign funding" and "rape," which are two separate cases that were investigated and sentenced together.

The journalist was accused of "rape" by a former colleague and spoke about "consensual relationships," while the complainant claimed the opposite.

In response to a question from Agence France-Presse, feminist lawyer Aisha al-Kalaa, the president of the Association for the Rights of Victims, welcomed the ruling, considering that "Omar Radi, Soulaimane Raissouni, and their supporters are trying to politicize these cases after the facts have been proven in court."

She criticized foreign non-governmental organizations for "exploiting these cases for purely political purposes."

Morocco's authorities consider that Radi and Raissouni were tried for crimes related to public law "unrelated" to their profession or freedom of expression.

In the face of these criticisms, the authorities emphasized the "independence of the judiciary" and "the rights of victims."

According to the latest World Press Freedom Index published by Reporters Without Borders for 2023, Morocco has dropped to 144th place, losing nine positions.

In January, the European Parliament expressed concern about the deteriorating press freedom in Morocco, citing in particular the imprisonment of Omar Radi, in a resolution adopted by a large majority, which sparked the anger of the political class and the Moroccan media.

 

 

 

 

 

 

AFP