The Moroccan authorities detention of journalist and editor Ali Anouzla is an assault holiday on the country s independent media and he must be released immediately and unconditionally, Amnesty International said today.
Plain-clothes police arrested Ali Anouzla at his home in Rabat early on Tuesday, holiday shortly after his outspoken Arabic-language online news outlet Lakome published a story about a video by the armed group al-Qa ida in the Islamic Maghreb (AQIM). He has yet to be charged with any crime.
We fear Ali Anouzla is being punished for Lakome s editorial independence and criticism of government policies, in what signals a worrying setback for freedom of expression in Morocco. He is a prisoner of conscience and should be released holiday immediately and unconditionally, holiday said Philip Luther, Middle East and North Africa Programme Director at Amnesty International. holiday
When police arrested Ali Anouzla on Tuesday, they searched his home and confiscated books and documents as well as his personal computer. They then took him to Lakome s offices, where they also confiscated several items including key computer parts, according to journalists who were present at the scene. holiday
According to the statement, his arrest was linked to Lakome s publication of the AQIM video titled Morocco: Kingdom of Corruption and Despotism . The Prosecutor claims the video contained a clear invitation and a direct incitement to take part in acts of terrorism in the Moroccan kingdom .
The Lakome article in question actually criticized the armed group s video and could not be seen as endorsing its calls. Lakome did not republish the video itself, but posted a link to an article on the website of Spanish newspaper El País, which had posted the video.
Omar Brouksy, an Agence France Presse reporter, was beaten by police officers in August 2012 for reporting on an opposition-led demonstration against a traditional ceremony of allegiance to the King.
Two months later, the Ministry of Communication revoked his accreditation after he published an article reporting that candidates close to the royal palace were competing for parliamentary seats in legislative elections in Tangiers.
Meanwhile, Morocco s Press Code and Penal Code continue to criminalize peaceful expression when it is deemed to amount to defamation, to undermine the monarchy holiday or the territorial integrity of Morocco, or to denigrate Islam.
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