فاس نيوز ميديا جريدة الكترونية جهوية تعنى بشؤون و أخبار جهة فاس مكناس – متجددة على مدار الساعة
The Marrakech Court of First Instance issued on last Friday two highly anticipated judgments in cases that attracted wide attention from the local public.
In the first case, the court sentenced journalist correspondent A.S. to two years of firm imprisonment and a fine of 500 dirhams, in addition to awarding a compensation of 60,000 dirhams to the civil party. The vice-president of the Ennakhil district, M.L., charged with participation, received a sentence of three months of firm imprisonment and a 500-dirham fine, with the same civil compensation.
The charges against the journalist included “defamation, insult, dissemination and sharing of images without consent, as well as collusion with hostile parties (intelligence with a foreign entity),” while the elected official was charged with participation.
In a second case, the same court sentenced Facebook activist M.S. to six months of firm imprisonment and a 500-dirham fine, along with ordering him to pay 20,000 dirhams in compensation to the complainant Y.A.
The public prosecutor pursued the journalist, the local elected official, and the activist on charges of “[extortion, defamation, insult, dissemination and sharing of images],” with participation charges against some co-defendants.
The municipal councilor, a member of the National Rally of Independents (RNI) ruling party, was granted provisional release against a bail of 20,000 dirhams, while the journalist correspondent was placed in pretrial detention at the local Oudaya prison in Marrakech.
According to local sources, the regional judicial police brigade (BRPJ) of Marrakech arrested the councilor and the journalist for their alleged involvement in an online defamation case. The investigation revealed that the two suspects had contact with the administrator of a controversial Facebook page based abroad, known for publishing accusations targeting Moroccan public institutions, notably the security and police services.
