Hundreds of demonstrators on the streets of Morocco after journalist Omar Radi's arrest

"We will not give up", "justice to orders", "this state is corrupt", chanted the demonstrators in front of the Parliament in the capital.

Several hundred demonstrators protested on Saturday (December 28th) in Rabat to denounce the arrest of Omar Radi, a Moroccan journalist and activist detained the day before for criticizing a court decision on Twitter last April.

In this tweet, the 33-year-old journalist castigated the verdict of a magistrate against members of "Hirak", a protest movement that agitated northern Morocco in 2016 and 2017, sentenced to sentences of up to 20 years in prison.

"No forgetting, no forgiveness with these officials without dignity!", He had written, describing the judge as "executioner". Omar Radi faces up to a year in prison for "contempt of court". The next hearing will take place on January 2.

"Fierce state campaign against freedom of expression"

On Saturday, the NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) urged the Moroccan authorities to "immediately release" this "award-winning investigative journalist".

"His wrongful detention and trial takes place in an increasingly suffocating atmosphere for Moroccan journalists, dissidents and artists who speak on social media," said Sarah Leah Whitson, director of Middle East and Africa, in a statement. North of HRW.

Jailed for a tweet! #Morocco should immediately free Omar Radi and drop its case against him, which reeks of political vengeance against his critical journalism and activism. @hrw report here. https://t.co/EukLjrqMd6

Omar Radi has collaborated with several Moroccan and international media and published surveys on the rent economy or the collusion between power and money. In 2016, he revealed a case of acquiring state land at ridiculous prices by officials, including advisers to the king and ministers.

More recently, he has also covered a number of protest movements that have agitated marginalized regions of the kingdom.

Following his arrest, the Moroccan human rights association (AMDH) castigated a "fierce state campaign against freedom of opinion and expression".

In a few days in Morocco, a youtubeur was sentenced to four years in prison for "insulting the king", a high school student was sentenced to three years in prison for a publication on Facebook and an activist was detained for a publication on social networks.

If a new Press Code no longer providing for prison terms entered into force in 2016 in Morocco, journalists still continue to be prosecuted according to the Criminal Code, as can internet users for being written on the social media.

In its latest annual press freedom ranking, Reporters Without Borders (RSF) ranked Morocco 135th out of 180 countries.

With AFP

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