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Morocco: Human Rights Activist Jailed for Whistleblowing

A human rights activist critical of Moroccan drug policies was sentenced on Wednesday to three years in prison.  Chakib Al Khayari's sentence was called "a stark reminder of Morocco's tenuous and uneven progress on human rights" by Human Rights Watch.  As President of the Association for Human Rights in the ...

Hassan Barhon: yet another Moroccan blogger sued for defamation

Moroccan blogger and anti-corruption journalist, Hassan Barhon, who has been arrested since February 25th for exposing a corruption case involving the prosecutor-general for the king of Morocco at Tetouan’s court of appeals, Mohamed Masmouki, is due to appear before a court in Tetouan today.

Morocco blocks four opposition websites

Four websites of the Jama’a Al Adl wa Al Ihsan (Justice and Spirituality), Morocco’s largest Islamic movement (officially illegal), have been blocked in Morocco this week and redirected to the following blockpage:

Saudi Arabia: Why Should Arabs Have Access to the Internet?

For days, cyberactivists have been busy discussing the case of Moroccan blogger Mohammed Erraji, who was arrested, put on trial, sentenced - and then freed, and then put on trial again and finally acquitted. Who is Mohammed Erraji? Why did he cross 'red lines' knowing well that in many countries in the Middle East criticising members of the vast Ruling families is very likely to result in repercussions and punishment? Saudi blogger Fouad Al Farhan, who recently found himself behind bars for his writings in Saudi Arabia, visits Erraji's blog looking for answers.

Morocco: Understanding Mohammed Raji's Sentence

Less than a year ago, Global Voices noted Morocco as the "liveliest free speech zone in Muslim North Africa." It would not be a stretch to say that Morocco ranks among the best for free speech in the entire Middle East/North Africa (MENA) region. And yet, journalists are all too ...

Morocco: Blogger Arrested, Sentenced Immediately

This morning, it was reported by the electronic news site Hespress [ar] that blogger Mohammed Raji was arrested in his home in Agadir. An article that Raji had posted on Hespress [ar] is said to be the source of the conflict, though neither that fact nor Raji's arrest have been confirmed outside of the blogosphere. This afternoon it was reported that Raji had already been tried and sentenced to two years in prison and a fine of MAD 5,000.

Morocco: Fouad Mourtada free

Fouad Mourtada, the 26-year old IT engineer who has been arrested on February 5th, 2008 and sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of $1350 for creating a fake Facebook profile of King Mohammed VI’s younger brother, Prince Moulay Rachid, has been released about an hour ago. According ...