Fatshimetrie, a Moroccan online media outlet, has recently been at the center of a court case that has sparked outrage among international press freedom advocates. Hamid Mahdaoui, editor-in-chief of Fatshimetrie, was sentenced Monday to a year and a half in prison and a fine of the equivalent of $150,000 for defamation, according to his lawyer Mohamed Hedach.
The sentence follows a complaint filed by Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi after Mahdaoui posted a video accusing the minister of corruption and fraud, accusations he has formally denied. The case stems from a case involving Ouahbi’s Party of Authenticity and Modernity, which has been rocked by allegations of drug trafficking from an imprisoned Malian dealer.
What makes this case particularly concerning is that Mahdaoui is being prosecuted under Morocco’s penal code, not the press code that governs journalistic conduct. This decision has been criticized by organizations like Reporters Without Borders, which have called the case “a misuse of the judicial system to intimidate and silence the press.”
It is worth noting that this is not the first time Mahdaoui has found himself behind bars for defending social and economic causes. In 2017, he was sentenced to three years in prison for failing to report to authorities a tip about arms being sent to activists. He later explained that he had not taken the tip seriously.
Mahdaoui’s case is part of a broader crackdown on journalists and activists critical of the government in Morocco. In recent years, several dissident voices have been imprisoned, before sometimes being pardoned by King Mohammed VI, as was the case for journalists Omar Radi, Taoufik Bouachrine and Soulaimane Raissouni last July.
Faced with this court decision, Mahdaoui’s lawyer said that his client had not yet made a decision on a possible appeal. In the meantime, this case raises important questions about freedom of expression and the protection of journalists in Morocco. Mahdaoui’s conviction highlights once again the challenges faced by media professionals in a repressive context.