Morocco Frees Journalists After King’s Pardon
Three journalists imprisoned for reporting on corruption and abuse of power in Morocco were released on Monday following pardons from King Mohammed VI. The journalists, Omar Radi, Taoufik Bouachrine, and Soulaimane Raissouni, were among 2,278 people granted pardons this week, as announced by Morocco’s Ministry of Justice. The pardons coincided with Morocco’s national holiday, celebrating the 25th anniversary of King Mohammed VI’s reign.
As head of state, the king has the authority to issue pardons, which apply to prison sentences but do not absolve civil penalties or monetary compensations ordered by courts. The journalists were released from prison in Tifelt, a town east of Rabat, to a group of jubilant supporters.
Human rights activists welcomed the pardons but emphasized that this action did not address the politically motivated nature of the journalists’ prosecutions. Fouad Abdelmoumni, a human rights activist, expressed hope for further progress towards democracy, acknowledging that other dissidents remain imprisoned.
These journalists have become symbols of Morocco’s suppression of critics, including those who challenge businesses and officials with palace ties. While Morocco is regarded as a stable and reliable ally in counterterrorism and an attractive tourist destination, the journalists’ prosecutions drew criticism from the U.S. State Department, the European Parliament, and numerous press freedom organizations.
Each journalist was convicted of sex-related crimes, which they vehemently denied as politically motivated and linked to their reporting. At the height of the Me Too movement, human rights groups called for thorough investigations but accused Moroccan authorities of using the allegations to discredit and intimidate critics.
Human Rights Watch highlighted in a 2022 report that Moroccan authorities have used various tactics to silence dissent, including prosecuting critics for severe crimes such as money laundering, espionage, rape, sexual assault, and human trafficking. The accusations against the journalists received extensive coverage in media outlets aligned with Moroccan authorities.
The international spotlight intensified when Amnesty International and the Paris-based journalism consortium Forbidden Stories published leaked documents suggesting that the journalists were spied on by Moroccan officials using malware on their smartphones, a claim denied by authorities.
Bouachrine, an opinion columnist and editor of the independent newspaper Akhbar al-Youm, was sentenced to 12 years in 2018 for human trafficking, sexual assault, and rape. Raissouni, also a former editor of Akhbar al-Youm, received a five-year sentence in 2021 for sexual assault. Radi, an investigative reporter and activist, was sentenced to six years in 2021 for espionage and sexual assault.
Among those pardoned were YouTuber Reda Taoujni and activists Youssef El Hirech and Saida Alami.
