Reporters Without Borders (RSF) calls for the immediate and unconditional release of Moroccan journalist Hajar Raissouni, who has been detained since 30 August 2019, on the pretext of an affair of mores.
The trial of Hajar Raissouni , a reporter for the Arabic-language daily Akhbar Alyaoum , one of the last independent newspapers in Morocco, opened on Monday (September 9th) before the Rabat court of first instance. Arrested for illegal abortion on August 30 and kept in detention since then, the journalist denounces “fabricated accusations” and a “political affair”, related in particular to his recent articles on detainees of the social movement of “Hirak”. In a letter published by her journal, the journalist mentions having been interrogated in police custody over her uncle, a well-known Islamist ideologist and an editorialist known for her critical pen.
In Morocco, morality cases are often used as a means of pressure against people considered to be embarrassing to power. The arrest comes as the influential editorialist and director of the Akhbar Alyaoum newspaper , Taoufik Bouachrine , is already the subject of a virulent smear campaign and has been sentenced to 12 years in prison for sexual violence. that he always denied . RSF has repeatedly denounced judicial harassment against him.
The trial of Hajar Raissouni, pursued for facts that are beyond the scope of his practice of the profession, also recalls the emblematic cases of journalists Ali Anouzla and Maati Monjib , who must respond to accusations of “apology of terrorism”, ” incitement to commit terrorist acts “and” undermining the security of the state “, while they have only done their job. These two trialslasted five years.
“We strongly condemn immiscion in the private life of journalists and the use of personal information to undermine their reputation and that of the media they work for,” said Souhaieb Khayati , RSF’s director of North Africa . We urge the Moroccan authorities to drop the charges against Hajar Raissouni and to respect article 24 of the constitution which states that everyone has the right to the protection of his private life. “
Morocco ranks 135th out of 180 in the World Press Freedom Index in 2019 .
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