The detention of Moroccan journalist Soulaimane Raissouni is ” arbitrary “ and he must be freed ” immediately “, judged a UN working group in an opinion consulted on Tuesday, October 11 by AFP. Imprisoned since May 2020, Mr. Raissouni was sentenced on appeal in February 2022 to five years in prison for “sexual assault” against a young LGBT+ activist, facts that he disputes.
This former editor of the Arabic-language newspaper Akhbar Al Yaoum claims to have been prosecuted “because of his opinions”. His supporters denounced a “political trial”. After reviewing his case, the UN Working Group on Arbitrary Detention concluded that “the violations of the right to a fair trial are of such gravity that they render the detention of Mr. Raissouni arbitrary”.
“Long worry”
The group “believes that the appropriate measure is to release immediately” the journalist and “expresses its deep concern for his physical and psychological well-being”according to an opinion sent to AFP by the support committee of Mr. Raissouni.
The Moroccan journalist had gone on a hunger strike from April to August 2021, leaving him “many consequences”, according to UN experts. He did not attend most of his trial at first instance – between February and July 2021 – due to this 122-day hunger strike.
He had been arrested two days after publishing an editorial in which he criticized the authorities for their overzealousness in the application of the legislation on the state of emergency during the Covid-19 pandemic. According to the UN working group, the editorial in question “relating to freedom of expression”. Mr Raissouni “is detained for having peacefully exercised this right”. For the Moroccan authorities, on the other hand, the prosecutions “have nothing to do with his journalistic work”.
Two other Moroccan journalists, Omar Radi and Taoufik Bouachrine, were also sentenced to heavy prison terms for sexual assaults which they deny. Mr. Radi, whose appeal trial is ongoing, is also accused of” spying “. Morocco occupies the 136e out of 180 countries in the world press freedom index established by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
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