A court issued on Thursday a two-year prison sentence against Moroccan activist Abdulali Bahmada and gave him a fine of MAD10,000 (around USD1,052) after making a Facebook post.
The Court of First Instance in Khouribga accused the activist, known as ‘Buddha’, of insulting religious sanctities and the national flag on social media networks. However, its sentence isn’t final and can be appealed.
It sparked angry reactions by social media activists who described the sentence as “cruel and exaggerated.”
Some activists from the Moroccan Association for Human Rights organized Friday a sit-in near the court to express their rejection for the sentence.
The National Committee of Support for Omar Radi and other prisoners of conscience considered the sentence “unjust.”
The court's decision consolidates the state’s repressive approach and its insistence on clamping down on freedom of expression, it said in a statement, a copy of which was obtained by Asharq Al-Awsat newspaper.
The Committee also accused politicians of using the judiciary to cover up for the violations made by the police and depriving the prisoner of conscience ‘Buddha’ of his right for a fair trial.
It also demanded the prompt release of Bahmada without conditions and an end to his prosecution.
Meanwhile, Moroccan government spokesman Hassan Abyab urged, in his weekly presser on Thursday, to differentiate between freedom of expression and committing felonies.
Abyab denied that rights and freedom of speech are deteriorating in the country.
He highlighted that Morocco has developed laws and that constitutional rights organizations are fulfilling their duties, stressing the importance of differentiating between freedom of expression and committing crimes.
