The persecution of journalists and media workers increased lately for their coverage of the protests spread across many cities. Journalists were imprisoned for criticizing the regime, they were deprived of performing their job. Moreover, the Moroccan authorities used violence to disperse demonstrators in rural regions, who were protesting against high prices.

The Moroccan authorities imposed a blockade on activists, bloggers, and human rights defenders.

The following are examples of freedom of expression violations in 2018.

Assaults against Journalists

• The year 2018 began with growing violations against journalists. On the 2nd of January, the authorities summoned 4 journalists, Mohamed Ahdad, al Masaa newspaper, Abdul Haq Belshokr, Akhbar Al Youm newspaper, Kawtha Zaki and Abdul Elah Sakhir, from Al Jarida 24 website, to appear before court on charges of “publishing news linked to the investigation committee concerning pension fund leaks”.

They were accused of disclosure of a professional secret in publishing information connected to the investigation committee.

The journalists were interrogated, then the court postponed case consideration from may till now.

• On 27th June, the Moroccan court sentenced journalist Mohamed Al Asrihi to 5 years. Asrihi is the second journalist to be tried in the file known as leaders of the rural uprising.

The court interrogated him about “The Coffins March” in which protesters participated while wearing in white. A video, which was recorded by the journalist, was displayed in court. Asrihi said that this demonstration was in solidarity with Nasser al Zefzafi’s mother, who received threats of killing her son

The five years sentence urged many international organizations to call for the freedom of him and all those who were detained in the case known as “demonstrations of the rural region”.

• On 28th June, the appeal court in Dar al Bayda, sentenced journalist Hamid al Mahdawi, admin of al Badil Info website, to 3 years and fining him 3000 Derham (around 314 dollars) under accusations of not reporting information to the authorities about what could damage the country’s interior security.

Mahdawi was arrested on 20th July 2017, during videoing a sit-in in al Hasima city. Mahdaw and other political leader were tried for 9 months, then a ruling was issued of imprisoning for 3 years and fining 3000 Derham on 28th June 2018. Mahdawi appealed the verdict.

In the second session, the Court of Appeal supported the verdict of 3 years imprisonment and joined his file case to the demonstration of rural regions file.

• On 10th November, the Court of Appeal in Dar Bayda, issued a verdict of 12 years imprisonment against journalist Tawfik Boeshrin, obliging him to pay compensations to 8 victims for damages they suffered under accusations of rape and human trafficking.

Boeshrin was arrested on 23rd of February in Dar Bayda from Akhbar Al Youm newspaper headquarters, of which he is editor-in-chief.

Boeshrin was tried before in 2009 for publishing a cartoon that was considered insulting to the royal family and national flag. In 2015, he was tried for an article which was considered “damaging Moroccan image”. He was also convicted in a defaming case in 2018 on the background of a complaint filed by two ministers.