Moroccan King Pardons More Than 2,400 Inmates and Persecuted
On the occasion of his 25th anniversary on the throne, Moroccan King Mohammed VI has pardoned 2,400 prisoners and detainees. In total, 2,476 people had their sentences or cases dropped, the Moroccan Ministry of Justice announced. Among them are several journalists and human rights activists, a Moroccan official told the AFP news agency.
Journalists Omar Radi and Soulaimane Raissouni were definitively sentenced in 2023 to five and six years in prison for "sexual violence," with Radi also accused of espionage. The third journalist, Taoufik Bouachrine, has been in prison since 2018 for "sexual violence" and "rape." All three have consistently denied the charges and claimed they are being persecuted for their work.
Among those pardoned is historian and human rights activist Maâti Monjib, who has been pursued by Moroccan authorities on suspicion of "money laundering." He spent three months in preventive detention in 2021 before being released after a 20-day hunger strike.
Organizations such as Reporters Without Borders and Amnesty International have repeatedly called for the pardon of the journalists and activists. Human Rights Watch accuses the Moroccan state of using criminal charges against opposition figures and employees of critical media.
The King's pardon also granted freedom to Maâti Monjib, a renowned historian and human rights activist, who had been facing charges of money laundering. The King, in his act of mercy, has shown leniency towards several figures who have been vocal in their advocacy for human rights and press freedom, including the historic pardon of King Mohammed VI.
