New Developments Prompt Reevaluation of Case Against Political Figure

The public prosecutor's office at the appellate court in Fez has made the decision to reopen the investigation concerning a complaint previously filed by former parliamentarian Rashid Faiq against Mohamed Chouki, the leader of the National Rally of Independents party. This move comes in light of new information presented by Faiq's legal team during a press conference, which was not included in the original complaint, as stated in a release from the public prosecutor on Saturday, September 12, 2026.

The case dates back to June 23, 2025, when Rashid Faiq, then an inmate at the Ras El Ma local prison, through his defense, filed a complaint against several individuals. The allegations included claims of extortion and threats of imprisonment during the 2021 electoral campaign.

Following the initial complaint, the public prosecutor initiated an investigation into its contents, with the deputy public prosecutor visiting the prison on three occasions to hear from the complainant and allow him to clarify his statements and provide any supporting evidence for his claims.

During the first visit on August 8, 2025, Faiq indicated that he was unwilling to provide any statements due to fatigue. In the second visit on August 11, he again refrained from making a statement, explaining that he had not yet recovered and was awaiting consultation with his defense team. By the third visit on August 17, Faiq confirmed his refusal to comment on the complaint, citing a hunger strike as the reason, according to the prosecutor's announcement.

In light of these circumstances, the public prosecutor decided on August 29, 2025, to temporarily shelve the complaint, finding that further investigation was contingent on statements from the complainant. At that time, the complaint lacked sufficient details and evidence to substantiate the claims made. Faiq was informed of the decision to shelve, but he refused to acknowledge receipt of this notification.

On July 14, 2026, Faiq's legal team submitted a request to lift the shelving of the complaint. However, the public prosecutor maintained its decision after reviewing the request, as it did not include any new elements justifying the reopening of the case, particularly any evidence supporting the allegations.

Nevertheless, the public prosecutor later stated that it had come across details and information related to the incidents outlined in the complaint, presented by Faiq's defense during the press conference, noting that this information had not been included in the original complaint.

Consequently, based on these new developments, the decision was made to reopen the investigation into the case, with the aim of verifying the new information and determining the appropriate legal consequences based on the findings of the ongoing inquiries.

As reported by elmassae24.ma.