Moroccan journalist sentenced to 18 months for defamation of justice minister

Moroccan journalist Hamid El Mehdawi said yesterday that he has been sentenced to 18 months in prison, following his conviction by a court on charges of “public defamation and slander” against Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Wahbi.

The Rabat First Instance Court also ordered El Mehdawi, editor-in-chief of the online news site Badil, to pay civil damages amounting to $150,000. El Mehdaoui is widely known for his outspoken criticism of government policies.

El Mehdawi’s prosecution came after he publicly accused Wahbi of fraud and other alleged misconduct in a video posted on his platform. Wahbi has denied all accusations.

“I am innocent, and I never expected a prison sentence,” said El Mehdawi. “I haven’t yet decided whether to appeal the ruling.”

He added: “I presented all my arguments in defence during the trial.”

Khadija El Ryadi, a representative of the Moroccan Association for Human Rights, said: “El Mehdawi was tried under the Criminal Code instead of the Press Code, which does not contain imprisonment penalties.”

El Mehdawi was previously arrested and sentenced by the Casablanca Criminal Court to three years in prison on charges of “failure to report a crime affecting state security.” He was released in July 2020 after serving a three-year jail term.

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