Rabat (AFP)
Moroccan journalist and human rights activist Omar Radi was detained on Thursday for a tweet denouncing a court ruling, his lawyer said.
According to Mr. Said Benhammani, Mr. Radi had been heard earlier Thursday by the judicial police who brought him before the prosecutor. The latter then decided to place him in detention and his trial began immediately afterwards.
During this first hearing before the Casablanca Court of First Instance, his lawyers requested his provisional release, which was rejected by the court.
The next hearing has been scheduled for January 2.
Mr. Radi, 33, is on trial under article 263 of the Criminal Code, which punishes from one month to one year in prison "contempt of court", according to Mr. Said Benhammani.
According to his defense, the journalist is being prosecuted for a tweet published in April and castigating the verdict of a magistrate against members of Hirak, a social protest movement that agitated northern Morocco in 2016 and 2017.
A judge of the Court of Appeal of Casablanca (west) had then confirmed sentences of up to 20 years of imprisonment for 42 members of the Hirak.
"Lahcen Talfi, judge of the court of appeal, executioner of our brothers, let us remember him well. In many regimes, little arms like him came back to beg after pretending + to have carried out orders +. Neither forgotten nor forgiveness with these dignified officials! "wrote Mr. Radi in his tweet.
The journalist had already been heard for the first time by the judicial police in April and an investigation had been opened for this tweet.
His arrest sparked outrage on social media, and was denounced by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).
A new Press Code no longer providing for prison terms came into force in 2016, but journalists continue to be prosecuted under the Criminal Code.
Several international NGOs are concerned about convictions of journalists under the Criminal Code.
In its latest annual press freedom ranking, RSF ranked Morocco 135th out of 180 countries.
© 2019 AFP