Reporters Without Borders welcomes release of Ali Lmrabet and Mohammed El-Hourd

Reporters Without Borders expressed its gratitude to King Mohammed VI for pardoning jailed journalists Ali Lmrabet and Mohammed El-Hourd, together with five other journalists. The pardons were announced for the two on 7 January, along with those of Mustapha Alaoui, Abdelmajid Ben Tahar, Mustapha Kechnini, Abdelaziz Jallouli and Miloud Boutrigui. While expressing thanks, "Reporters without Borders nevertheless regretted that the two journalists had to stay in prison so long" said Robert Ménard, secretary general of the international press freedom organisation, adding, "we hope that no journalist will be imprisoned in Morocco in the future." Ali Lmrabet, editor in chief of Demain Magazine and Douman and correspondent for Reporters Without Borders, was the 2003 laureate of the Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France annual press freedom award. Lmbaret was sentenced to four years in jail on 21 May 2003, by a court in Rabat for "insulting the king's person", "threatening the integrity of the national territory" and "undermining the monarchy". His sentence was reduced on appeal to three years in jail on 17 June. Mohammed El-Hourd, managing editor of the weekly Asharq, at Oujda in the northeast of the country, had been remanded in custody on 13 June 2003 and then sentenced on 4 August to three years in prison for "incitement to violence" under the anti-terrorism law. Mustapha Alaoui, managing editor of the Arabic-language weekly Al Ousboue, had been charged with "condoning acts constituting terrorist crime through publications offered for sale" and sentenced on 11 July 2003 to one year in jail suspended. His publication was banned for three months. Abdelmajid Ben Tahar, editor in chief of the weekly Asharq, was remanded in custody on 13 June on the order of the king's prosecutor general and then sentenced to one year in prison on 4 August for "incitement to violence." On 3 November Mustapha Kechnini was sentenced to two years in prison and Abdelaziz Jallouli and Miloud Boutrigui to 18 months in jail under the press law "for failing to respect the king", "undermining the monarchy" "incitement through printed words to acts likely to harm internal security". The three journalists had appealed and had not been imprisoned. More than 13 years ago Reporters Without Borders started a "sponsorship" programme, calling on international media to "adopt" a jailed journalist. One hundred and 20 newsrooms around the world thus sponsor a jailed colleague and regularly make appeals to the relevant authorities for their release. They publicise their appeals to ensure that the case is not forgotten. Ali Lmrabet, Reporters Without Borders-Fondation de France 2003 prize winner had been supported in this way by: AB3, Agencia IPS, Aqui Madrid, AVUI, Bakeas, Cadena SER, Cambio 16/Espacio de Informacion General (EIG), Champs Libres, Club de la presse du Limousin, CNN+ - Onda Cero, Comunica e Inter Press Service, Diario Directo, El Mundo, El Pais, El Periodico de Catalunya, Espana-Hoy, France soir, Fun Radio, La Razon, Genève Home Information, La Vanguardia (Q), Maison de la presse de Charleroi, Radio Babel FM, Tele 5,Tiempo, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, Vandellós i Associats.