Morocco: supporters of imprisoned journalist Soulaimane Raissouni remain mobilized
Protesters gathered in Rabat, Morocco, to demand the release of journalists Soulaimane Raissouni and Omar Radi, on May 25, 2021. (Illustrative photo) AP - Mosa'ab Elshamy
Text by: RFI Follow
1 min
Journalist Soulaimane Raissouni has been in prison in Morocco since May 2020. Convicted at first instance and then on appeal of sexual assault following the complaint of an LGBT activist, he was sentenced to five years in prison. Invited on March 23 in Brussels, to the European Parliament, his wife Khouloud Mokhtari raised the issue of freedom of expression in Morocco. She also spoke to RFI.
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Nearly three years since Soulaimane Raissouni was imprisoned. The journalist and his support committee have always denounced political trials and a willingness of the authorities to silence critics of the regime, while the authorities believe on the contrary that the columnist has benefited from "a fair trial".
While the lawyers await the application of their appeal in cassation, Khouloud Mokhtari, the wife of Soulaimane Raissouni, continues to fight. She intends to use all means to prove her husband's innocence. After her speech to the European Parliament at a round table on press freedom and freedom of expression in Morocco, she spoke to Guillaume Thibault:
« I really want to talk about my husband's case. He has remained in an individual cell since his "abduction" on May 20, 2020. Soulaimane does not leave his cell. From the beginning, the trial was unfair. Morocco is supposed to respect the Charter of the European Union on respect for human rights. I am here to continue my struggle. They go after him every time. My duty is to denounce everything that has been done against my husband. »
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- Morocco
- Freedom of the press
- Justice
- Culture