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After Dragging "Al Michaal" Newspaper Editor From Office To Jail, Will Press Freedom In Morocco Become A Happy Memory?
Cairo 18/10/2009
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information, ANHRI, stated that the long struggled for press freedom in Morocco is about to become a happy memory after a series of law suits and crackdowns on reporters. The pursuit reached its climax by dragging "Edris Shehtan", editor of "Al Michaal" weekly directly from office to jail on 15/10/2009 to implement a one year term referring to the article #392 of the criminal law stating that the prosecution has the right to arrest the defendant once the first instance court order has been issued without having to wait for the appeal court ruling.
Shehtan was fined and sentenced to one year because of articles about the King's health published in Al Michaal as well as fines and three month sentences for "Rachid Mahamid" and " Mustafa Hiran" ,reporters at the same paper. This comes in a long line of investigations and law pursuits against Moroccan papers and reporters in Moroccan courts because of articles regarding the royal family or disclosing corruption cases. Examples are "Akhbar Al Youm" newspaper that was closed down by the police without court order and prosecuting the veteran reporter "Ali Anozla", Editor of "Al Jarida Al Oula" and reporters in the same paper. Lately, "Rachid Nini" editor of "Al Massaa" was prosecuted because of writing about corruption and drugs in Morocco.
ANHRI stated that, "This raid of legal pursuits against some of the most influential papers not in Morocco only but in the Arab world as well , undermines press freedom in the Arabic region. Press freedom defenders referred to Moroccan papers as an example of independent press having free pens.
Now, we are afraid to say that this model is about to be washed away in the high waters of silencing those papers and breaking free Moroccan pens".
Relevant info http://www.anhri.net/en/reports/2009/pr1007.shtml
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