Appeal court says reporter has to serve time in jail

Reporters Without Borders is dismayed by the Casablanca appeal court's decision today to uphold a prison sentence for reporter Mostapha Hurmatallah of the Arabic-language weekly Al Watan Al An, one week after he was freed pending the outcome of his appeal. “This ruling marks the end of the relative respite the Moroccan press has been enjoying of late,” the press freedom organisation said. “Whatever the result of the petition that will now be made to the court of final appeal, Morocco is now clearly on a dangerous slope.” Reporters Without Borders added: “Hurmatallah's release a week ago was seen as a sign of government good faith by the many foreign journalists who came to cover the second elections held under King Mohammed. But the judicial authorities returned to their bad old ways as soon as the spotlights were turned off.” In its decision today, the Casablanca appeal court upheld Hurmatallah's prison sentence but reduced it by a month, from eights months to seven, and reduced Al Watan Al An editor Abderrahim Ariri's suspended prison sentence from six months to five. It also reduced their fines to 1,000 dirhams (89 euros). The original sentences were passed by a Casablanca criminal court on 15 August. Their lawyers said they expected that Hurmatallah would remain free pending the outcome of their petition to the court of final appeal. Arrested on 17 July, Hurmatallah spent a total of 56 days in detention, most of it in Oukacha prison. __________________________ 11.09 - Journalist freed pending outcome of appeal against 8-month jail term Reporters Without Borders hails today's decision by the Casablanca appeal court to grant a request for the provisional release of Al Watan Al An reporter Mostapha Hurmatallah pending the outcome of his appeal against an eight-month prison sentence for publishing a leaked internal security memo. “We are pleased that a judge finally agreed to put an end to this journalist's imprisonment, which was unacceptable,” the organisation said. “We now hope that Hurmatallah will be acquitted on appeal. This would be the only honourable outcome to a case that has done great harm to press freedom in Morocco and has traumatised its journalists.” Four lawyers spoke in Hurmatallah's defence during today's first hearing in his appeal case. They said Hurmatallah and his editor, Abderrahim Ariri, could not be accused of “receiving and concealing” state documents as they had already published them. They also disputed the charge of “violating state security”on the grounds that the two journalists had only wanted to inform the Moroccan public about issues involving its security. “The press hides nothing and reveals everything,” one of the lawyers told the court. The judge consented to their request for Hurmatallah's provisional release after they argued that the journalist, who is married and has one child, needed to be with his family during “the sacred month of Ramadan.” Previous requests for his release had been turned down. Hurmatallah had been detained since 17 July, the date on which he and his editor were arrested over a series of stories in the 14 July issue headlined, “The secret reports behind Morocco's state of alert.” A Casablanca court convicted them on 15 August of “receiving documents obtained by criminal means” under article 571 of the criminal code. Ariri, who had been released on 24 July, received a six-month suspended sentence but Hurmatallah was ordered to serve a sentence of eight months in prison. The appeal court is expected to issue its decision on 18 September. For more information: 15.08.2007: Journalist gets eight months in prison for story based on leaked security memo