Ali Lmrabet very weak but calm

Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard described imprisoned journalist Ali Lmrabet as "very weak but calm" after visiting him today at Avicenne hospital in Rabat. Lmrabet has lost 17 kg since the start of his hunger strike on 6 May but has begun to drink water again. Prior to the hospital visit, Ménard had a meeting today with justice ministry officials at which the possibility was raised of Lmrabet's provisional release at his first appeal hearing on 5 June. The ministry officials stressed during this meeting that it was the interior ministry, not the justice ministry, that initiated Lmrabet's prosecution. _______________________________________________________________ 30 May 2003 Jailed newspaper editor's condition worsens Reporters Without Borders today voiced mounting concern about the worsening condition of its correspondent in Morocco, jailed newspaper editor Ali Lmrabet, who was rushed from his prison cell to hospital on 26 May. Lmrabet has been on a hunger strike since 6 May and is now refusing even water. His lawyers yesterday described his state of health as "worrying." Lmrabet began serving a four-year prison sentence for insulting the king on 21 May. "We are extremely concerned about the health of our correspondent and we reiterate our request to the Moroccan authorities to release him at once, which would allow him to receive the treatment he needs," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard said. He also said he did not understand why Lmrabet is not allowed any reading material. Ménard added that he will travel to Rabat on 2 June to meet with justice ministry officials and visit Lmrabet in hospital Lmrabet was put on an intravenous drip when he was taken to Avicenne hospital in Rabat on 29 May, but he removed it yesterday and refused any other form of medicine. When his sister Naziha visited him, all he managed to say was: "Even here they are persecuting me." Explaining to his other sister Nadia his decision to refuse to ingest anything (including water and sugar), he said: "I am being denied my prisoner's rights. Why are they even forbidding me the right to read? Haven't they done me enough harm already?" The only book he had with him, and a pen, were confiscated on 28 May and he has not been allowed the other books he requested. His two lawyers were able to visit him for the first time in hospital yesterday. They said they had written to the justice minister requesting a written report on Lmrabet's state of health. The editor of two satirical weeklies, the French-language Demain Magazine and its Arabic-language version Douman, Lmrabet was sentenced to four years in prison on 21 May for "insulting the person of the king", "offence against territorial integrity" and "offence against the monarchy." The court also fined him 20,000 dirhams (about 2,000 euros) and banned his two weeklies. When he began his hunger strike on 6 May, Lmrabet said he was acting to defend his rights, to put an end to repeated acts of intimidation against his printer and others who would otherwise be ready to print his weeklies, and in order to be able to enjoy the right to freedom of movement. Sign the petition for Ali Lmrabet (in French)