Rif activists handed prison terms for protesting

The Al Hoceima Court of Appeals in Morocco has sentenced seven Rif activists to between five and 20 years.

The maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment was handed to two activists accused of “causing a fire in a police residence, violence against the public forces during the exercise of their mission, disobedience, destruction of public property and unauthorised demonstration”.

They were arrested in March last year during protests in Imzouren, near Al Hoceima, which has been the centre of protests of angry residents from the turbulent Rif region calling for the government to fund the region better and provide more employment.

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The activists given ten years in prison were guilty of partaking in “unauthorised” protests last year. Two other activists prosecuted have had their sentences increased to ten and five years in prison respectively. They had previously been sentenced respectively to five and three years in prison for their participation in an unauthorised demonstrations and the use of violence against public forces.

The Hirak movement was born in the Rif in October 2016 following the death of the fish seller Mohcine Fikri who was crushed to death in a rubbish truck after his produce was confiscated by authorities. Protesters are now demanding the activists to be freed. They believe they have been treated poorly. A number of those detained have gone on hunger strike to demand their release.