French Journalists on Trial for ‘Trying to Blackmail' Moroccan King

Morocco's King Mohammed VI (MAP)
Morocco's King Mohammed VI (MAP)
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French Journalists on Trial for ‘Trying to Blackmail' Moroccan King

Morocco's King Mohammed VI (MAP)
Morocco's King Mohammed VI (MAP)

Two French journalists will go on trial Monday in Paris on suspicion of trying to blackmail Morocco's King Mohammed VI, demanding €2 million in 2015 in exchange for not publishing a damaging book about the monarch.

The case dates back to the summer of 2015, which saw secret meetings in hotels, private recordings, police surveillance, and exchanged funds.

In 2012, journalists Eric Laurent and Catherine Graciet published a book that contained damaging claims about the King and was banned in Morocco.

Three years later, they signed a new publishing contract to prepare a book on the same topic.

On July 23, 2015, the two journalists contacted the Moroccan palace officials, informing them they had written a book on Mohammed VI. A first meeting was organized in Paris with Moroccan lawyer Hicham Naciri on August 11 in a Parisian hotel bar.

During the meeting, Laurent announced plans to publish the book in early 2016, which included information probably "embarrassing" to Rabat. However, accounts of what followed differed significantly.

According to the journalist, Naciri offered a financial agreement not to publish the book.

The Moroccan government alerted French authorities to the alleged blackmail, and a further meeting was arranged, this time under police surveillance.

A third meeting was set for August 27, 2015, in another hotel where Laurent and Graciet signed a contract and received 80,000 euros in cash.

The pair were arrested as they left the establishment "with the proceeds of their crime in their pockets" the lawyer said.

The meetings were recorded, but the recordings were deemed illegal by the defense team.

The Court of Appeal rejected the appeal request in November 2017.

Journalists Eric Laurent, 75, and Catherine Graciet, 48, were initially accused of extortion, but the charges were dropped at the end of the judicial investigation, which lasted nearly six years.

Laurent is a former reporter for Radio France, Le Figaro Magazine, and France Culture. He has written many controversial books, one of which deals with September 11, 2011.

Graciet worked in Rabat and published books on Morocco and Libya.

During the investigation, they admitted to accepting a contract to "give up" the book, whose geopolitical consequences "worried" them, but they denied any threat or extortion.

Speaking to French daily Le Monde on Friday, Graciet's lawyer Eric Moutet insisted blackmail was out of character for his client and hinted that the arrest resulted from a Moroccan government sting.

"I don't yet have complete access to the case files, but this whole business stinks of a setup," he said.

Laurent's defense lawyer argued that the two defendants fell into a trap set by Moroccan intelligence.



Yemen Cabinet Holds Urgent Meeting to Discuss Economic Rescue Plan

Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)
Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)
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Yemen Cabinet Holds Urgent Meeting to Discuss Economic Rescue Plan

Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)
Yemeni Cabinet meeting in Aden, Yemen (Saba News Agency)

The Yemeni government met in the interim capital, Aden, on Thursday, with Prime Minister Ahmed Awad Bin Mubarak presiding to review an economic rescue plan focused on government reforms, ending the Houthi coup, and restoring state control.
Yemen’s economy faces a deep crisis, with falling revenues and a halt in oil exports after Houthi attacks on export ports and stalled peace efforts amid increased Houthi activity regionally and at sea.
In Thursday’s meeting, Yemen’s Cabinet discussed urgent economic issues, including currency instability and electricity shortages, and reviewed a draft economic rescue plan aligned with government reforms.
The government aims to finalize the plan, which focuses on restoring state control, ending the Houthi coup, achieving peace, fighting corruption, and improving transparency. The plan also seeks to boost the economy and make better use of foreign aid.
A ministerial committee, led by the finance minister and including other key officials, was formed to refine the plan. The committee will review suggestions and present a revised version in two weeks for further discussion.
State media reported that the Cabinet instructed the ministerial committee to align the rescue plan with the government's reform agenda and economic recovery strategy. The committee will set priorities, review progress, and develop a unified economic document to guide urgent government actions.
Yemen’s Cabinet emphasized the need to realistically assess challenges and tackle them through joint efforts with the Presidential Leadership Council.
The discussion focused on ensuring the rescue plan addresses the economic crisis’s root causes—worsened by Houthi attacks on oil facilities and shipping routes—and on defining the support needed from international donors.
The meeting also reviewed implemented and ongoing policies, noting obstacles and suggesting solutions to overcome them.
Moreover, Yemen’s Cabinet reviewed reports on fuel shortages affecting Aden’s power stations and discussed urgent steps to stabilize electricity and ensure water supplies.
State media said officials stressed the need for emergency fuel and additional supplies to keep services stable.