BY: Hana Saada
ALGIERS- In the Kingdom of Morocco, the rights and freedoms of its citizens are being disregarded by the ruling Makhzen regime. The latest victim of this ruthless dictatorship is a human rights activist who has been detained for three years and has now been sentenced to an additional two years in prison for remarks deemed offensive to the king and justice. This news was announced by the activist’s lawyers.
Saïda El Alami was prosecuted for offending the king and insulting a magistrate or public official in the exercise of their functions, following remarks she made during her previous trial. Her lawyer, Ahmed Aït Bennacer, confirmed this to AFP. The Casablanca court of first instance sentenced her to two years in prison on Wednesday evening. It is important to note that she is already serving a three-year prison sentence, pronounced on appeal in September 2022, for contempt of a constituted body and dissemination of false allegations or misleading facts with a view to infringing the privacy of persons or defaming them.
“At present, it remains uncertain whether the principle of non-cumulation of sentences will be applied, as legal proceedings are still ongoing,” stated Souad Brahma, a defense lawyer representing the accused. Brahma intends to appeal the verdict. The defendant, a 49-year-old Moroccan, was detained in March 2022 and identifies as a political dissident on social media. She frequently posted critical content against the authorities, including cases relating to corruption within the judiciary and security services, according to Amnesty International.
The defendant was fined 20,000 dirhams (approximately 1,800 euros) and convicted of the charges. Saïda El Alami, a member of the “Moroccan Women against Political Detention” collective, expressed her support for journalists and activists, such as Omar Radi and Soulaimane Raissouni, who have been unfairly sentenced and imprisoned.
Amnesty International has called on Moroccan authorities to cease the prosecution of activists who criticize public figures, representatives, or institutions of the State. The organization also urges the government to ensure that citizens can express their opinions freely without fear of retaliation. The cases of Omar Radi and Soulaimane Raissouni have garnered international attention due to the perceived injustice of their trials.”
The chairman and former minister in charge of human rights under Hassan II, is also languishing in prison for having dared to denounce the shameless lie of Rabat concerning the number of sub-Saharans massacred by the Moroccan security forces with the active complicity of their Spanish counterparts. To this disturbing contingent of political prisoners are added dozens of Sahrawi prisoners of conscience, the most famous of whom are those known as Gdeim Izik. After the sterile denunciations without consequences, sanctions against the Moroccan regime have therefore become absolutely necessary.
This case is yet another example of the Moroccan government’s disregard for human rights and freedom of speech. The ruling regime has a long history of suppressing dissent and punishing those who dare to speak out against their oppressive policies. It is imperative that the international community take notice of this injustice and hold the Moroccan government accountable for their actions. The world must stand in solidarity with human rights activists like Saïda El Alami and demand that their voices be heard and their rights be respected.
(Translated from the French-language news website: La Patrie News)