The Rabat Court of First Instance sentenced journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui on Monday to 18 months in prison for defamation against Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahb. The verdict also includes a civil compensation of approximately USD$150,000 to the justice minister.
The verdict follows a lawsuit filed in October by justice minister and former secretary-general of the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM), Abdellatif Ouahbi. Ouahbi accused Mahdaoui of “spreading and distributing false claims and information to harm the reputation of individuals, along with defamation and public insults,” under articles 443, 444, and 446 of the Moroccan penal code.
The case centers on a video in which Mahdaoui alleged that Ouahbi had received a luxury car from a woman involved in an active legal case. During the last session before the case went into deliberation, the defense for the Minister of Justice requested the maximum penalty for Mahdaoui, along with a civil compensation claim of 10 million dirhams. The defense also called for a financial audit of the revenue generated by Mahdaoui’s private YouTube channel and requested that the proceeds be transferred, by court order, to charitable organizations.
In his interview with Reuters after the verdict, Mahdaoui maintained his innocence and expressed his hesitation in appealing the verdict because he was convicted despite “presenting all his arguments in his defence at court.”
Furthermore, the Moroccan Association in Support of Political Detainees, Hemam, criticized the ruling, describing it as unjust and surprising. They argued that it represented a victory for the powerful party, referring to the Minister of Justice. The association expressed astonishment at the court’s decision and emphasized that Mahdaoui’s trial was political.
Mahdaoui, the editor-in-chief of the Badil news website, has faced several legal proceedings in the past, particularly related to his coverage of the protests during the Hirak Rif movement. In 2017, he was arrested on charges of “inciting demonstrations” after publishing reports about the protests in Al-Hoceima. Initially sentenced to three months in prison, his sentence was later increased to one year.
In addition, another court in Casablanca issued an additional ruling against Mahdaoui on charges of “failing to report a crime threatening national security.” He was sentenced in 2018 to three years in prison. The case stemmed from a phone conversation between Mahdaoui and a Moroccan living abroad, during which the individual allegedly claimed he would “bring a tank into Morocco.” Human Rights Watch commented on the case, stating that it violated Mahdaoui’s right to peaceful expression and suggested that it reflected an abusive use of the law against a candid journalist by authorities who have drastically limited the space for critical reporting and commentary.
Reporters Sans Frontières ranked Morocco 129th out of 180 countries in its 2024 World Press Freedom Index.
