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01 May 2012
Morocco: Rachid Niny, editor of Al Massae daily, was released after serving his full sentence
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Rachid Niny, editor of Al Massae, one of the most important Moroccan Arabic newspapers, left the prison of Akkacha (Casablanca) on 28 April 2012 around three in the morning, after serving his sentence of one year's imprisonment.
On 9 June 2011 he was sentenced to one year's imprisonment and a fine of 1,000 dirhams for "harming constitutional bodies and public figures."
In his articles, Rachid Niny had denounced dubious awards of public contracts involving senior state officials, the partiality of justice, Islamic militants' unfair trials following the Casablanca attacks and excessive anti-terrorist policies. He was subjected to pressure by the authorities and all observers agree that he was prosecuted and sentenced because of his writings.
Remaining attentive to the issue of the press freedom and the right of citizens to freely express their opinions, Alkarama urges the Moroccan authorities to respect their international commitments and ensure that no one is arrested or prosecuted because of the exercise of that fundamental right.
