Three-year suspended sentences for editor and reporter called “outrageous”

Suspended sentences of three years in prison and fines of 80,000 dirhams (7,200 euros) were handed down by a Casablanca court today on Driss Ksikes, editor of the Arabic-language weekly Nichane, and one of his journalists, Sanaa Elaji, for attacking Islam and traditional morals in a feature about Moroccan humour. The court also ordered Nichane to be closed for two months. “We are obviously relieved that the judges decided not to approve the very severe and unfair sentences requested by the prosecutor,” said Reporters Without Borders, which had a representative in court today. “But we still think it is outrageous that a newspaper has been suspended just for publishing a few jokes about Morocco and Islam. The three-year suspended prison sentences imposed on Nichane's editor and one of his journalists will be a permanent threat hanging over this newspaper's courageous staff.” The press freedom organisation added: “We appeal to the Moroccan government to show restraint towards the media in the runup to the coming legislative elections. Journalists must be free to provide the public with news and information, including on matters that may annoy the authorities or upset religious believers.” Nichane's staff also voiced relief about today's sentence. “We are pleased that the court did not include a ban on their working as journalists in its sentence, and that the prison sentence was suspended, even if we think that three years is too much,” said Ahmed Benchemsi, the managing editor of the French-language weekly Tel Quel, which belongs to the same press group as Nichane. “The press law must be changed. The authorities announced it. I hope they do it.” The government suspended Nichane by administrative order on 20 December, just over 10 days after the publication of its 9-15 December issue, which included a feature entitled “Jokes: How Moroccans laugh at religion, sex and politics.” Casablanca prosecutors subsequently decided to charge the newspaper with “damaging Islam” and “publishing and distributing writings contrary to morals and customs.” At the opening day of the trial on 8 January, the state prosecutor requested sentences of three to five years in prison for Ksikes and Elaji, bans on their working as journalists, and fines ranging from 10,000 to 100,000 dirhams (895 to 8,950 euros). He also called for the newspaper to be closed down for good. Launched last September, Nichane was selling nearly 15,000 copies a week before it was suspended.