Editor Ali Lmrabet sentenced to four years in prison

Reporters Without Borders voiced dismay over the jailing today of newspaper editor Ali Lmrabet immediately after a court convicted him of "insulting the king," sentenced him to four years in prison and a fine of 20,000 dirhams (about 2,000 euros) and banned his two weeklies, Demain Magazine and Douman. Lmrabet has been on hunger strike since 6 May. "We are dismayed and horrified by this verdict," Reporters Without Borders secretary-general Robert Ménard said, calling for Lmrabet's immediate and unconditional release. "The Moroccan justice system has once again proved its incapacity to act with independence." Ménard noted that this was the first time that article 400 of the criminal code, which permits a defendant's immediate arrest, has been applied in the case of a press offence. "Is Ali Lmrabet a dangerous criminal who must be imprisoned on the spot?" he asked. Ménard said the four-year jail sentence posed "a clear threat to the rest of the independent press." At a time when Morocco was having to deal with tragedy, Reporters Without Borders said it called on King Mohammed VI to act boldly to demonstrate his commitment to real press freedom without taboos and no-go zones, a freedom that was seriously undermined by today's verdict. Background Lmrabet's trial on charges of "insulting the person of the king", "offence against territorial integrity" and "offence against the monarchy" began on 13 May. He was prosecuted for articles and cartoons about the annual allowance that parliament grants the royal family (detailed in a finance ministry document distributed to parliamentarians), the history of slavery, a photomontage of Moroccan political personalities, and an interview with a Moroccan republican who advocated self-determination for Western Sahara. The king's prosecutor initially requested the maximum five-year prison sentence, a fine of 100,000 dirhams (about 10,000 euros) and the banning of the two weeklies. He also requested Lmrabet's immediate arrest under article 400 of the criminal code and police detained Lmrabet in the courtroom for about 10 minutes on 13 May, until the detention order was revoked as a result of his lawyers' objections. Previously, at the beginning of May, the owner of the printing works Ecoprint told Lmrabet that he would have to stop printing Lmrabet's two weeklies because of pressure being put on him. He later said it was because he disagreed with their content. When he began his hunger strike on 6 May, Lmrabet said he was acting to defend his rights, to stop 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. As Lmrabet was about to fly from Rabat airport to Paris on 17 April, two agents from the Directorate of Territorial Surveillance (DST) told him he was banned from leaving the country "on the instructions of the DST." The ban was lifted the following week.