Ali Lmrabet's Release from Detention
In a significant development, the critical journalist Ali Lmrabet, who was apprehended by Moroccan authorities on Sunday for allegedly making "defamatory and insulting comments against individuals and institutions, as well as offensive remarks towards legally governed organizations," has been released on Wednesday. Following his arrest upon arrival at the Tangier airport from Barcelona, where he has lived for the past twenty years, Lmrabet found himself in the custody of the National Brigade of Judicial Police (BNPJ) in Casablanca. The Casablanca Public Prosecutor's Office announced its decision to release Lmrabet after a thorough review of various procedural documents, completing the investigation, and conducting necessary technical analyses. On Wednesday, he was interrogated again in accordance with the legal rights and guarantees entitled to him, as stated in the official communication from the Public Ministry, reported by Moroccan media outlets.
The Climate of Repression and International Response
Lmrabet has been a prominent voice critical of King Mohammed VI and the Moroccan government. His detention was confirmed by the Alaouite regime on Tuesday, which revealed that there were multiple arrest warrants against him in the neighboring country. The charges against him relate to offensive statements made against the authorities, which are classified as criminal offenses in Morocco. In addition to his release, the prosecution has announced the return of items confiscated during his detention, including two computers, a storage device, and a mobile phone. However, the Public Ministry has made it clear that the investigation against Lmrabet continues, without specifying the potential penalties he may face, merely indicating that "appropriate legal measures will be taken once the investigation concludes." The arrest of Ali Lmrabet provoked a strong reaction against the persecution of journalists by Moroccan authorities. Married to Spanish teacher Laura Feliú and having resided in Spain for two decades, Lmrabet had long been a target for Rabat. Organizations such as the Moroccan Association for the Support of Political Prisoners (Himam) demanded his immediate release as soon as news of his arrest emerged. Internationally, organizations like Reporters Without Borders and various journalist associations joined the chorus calling for an end to the judicial persecution faced by Lmrabet.
His release coincided with the commencement of an official visit to Morocco by French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu. Alongside his Moroccan nationality, Lmrabet is also a French citizen. His wife confirmed to El Independiente that the family has reached out to associations attempting to mediate with the office of the Prime Minister and the French Foreign Ministry, noting that "other contacts seem not to have worked out." Lmrabet's long-standing persecution dates back to 2003, exemplifying the challenges faced by dissenting voices in Morocco. His weekly publication, Demain, was shut down by Moroccan authorities, and in 2003 he was sentenced to four years in prison for his satirical and critical publications regarding the government. An international outcry, along with a hunger strike initiated by Lmrabet to protest his conditions, led to a royal pardon from King Mohammed VI the following year.
Nevertheless, Morocco prohibited him from practicing journalism in the country for ten years in 2005, as a result of his decision to refer to Sahrawi refugees as such rather than the official Moroccan term "population kidnapped by the Polisario Front." This led him to establish his residence in Spain, although he frequently traveled back to Morocco to visit family. Lmrabet initiated another hunger strike in 2015 when Moroccan authorities refused to renew his documentation. Named one of the "100 information heroes of 2014" by Reporters Without Borders, the legal consequences of this latest attempt by Morocco to silence his journalistic endeavors remain uncertain.
As reported by elindependiente.com.
