Moroccan opponent and former minister Mohamed Ziane, 81, has started a hunger strike to demand his release, his son, who is also his lawyer, told AFP on Friday February 16.
Former president of Rabat, Mohamed Ziane was sentenced in 2022 to three years in prison after a complaint from the Ministry of the Interior for eleven counts, including “contempt of public officials and the justice system”, “insulting against a constituted body”, “defamation”, “adultery” and “sexual harassment”.
“He continues his hunger strike, which he started yesterday [jeudi] »declared Ali Reda Ziane after a visit to his father: “I tried to convince him to stop it, but he has no intention of going back on his decision. He does not recognize what he is accused of and believes that he was not judged fairly. He requests his release, an end to the proceedings against him and his rehabilitation. »
Al Arjat prison, near Rabat, said in a statement Thursday that the inmate “MZ” had “thrown” his breakfast tray “outside the cell”describing this behavior as“irresponsible”. However, a prison source told AFP that Mr. Ziane had stopped his hunger strike on Friday morning.
According to his son, Mr. Ziane has been prosecuted since January 10 for “wastefulness of public funds” in a new case of “diversion” of public subsidies received by the party he chaired during the 2015 elections, which he denies.
Mohamed Ziane was Minister of Human Rights between 1995 and 1996. Founder of the Moroccan Liberal Party (PML), this great state official has made himself known in recent years through critical statements against the government. , in particular from the Moroccan intelligence services. He claims to have been judged “because of his opinions”.