A Moroccan court has commuted the prison sentence of prominent opposition figure and former minister Mohamed Ziane from five years down to three, his lawyer announced on Thursday.
Mohamed Ziane, who previously served as human rights minister, has been in detention since 2022. He was already serving a separate three-year sentence in another legal case.
Ziane, aged 82 and a former president of the Rabat bar association, was convicted of “embezzlement and squandering of public funds,” according to his son and lawyer, Ali Reda Ziane, who spoke with AFP.
These charges are linked to funds received by the Moroccan Liberal Party (PML), which Ziane founded and led, during the 2015 election campaign.
He had originally been sentenced to five years in prison in July of the previous year.
Despite the court’s decision late Wednesday to reduce his sentence, his lawyer stated that “it remains heavy.”
The lawyer further asserted, “He deserves to be acquitted because there was no embezzlement.”
It remains unclear whether the sentences in the two separate cases will be served at the same time (concurrently) or one after the other (consecutively).
The initial case against Ziane followed a complaint filed by the interior ministry, which included seven counts.
These charges encompassed contempt of public officials and the judiciary, defamation, adultery, and sexual harassment.
However, Ziane has maintained his innocence, alleging that his detention is a direct result of his political opinions.
In recent years, the opposition figure had gained notoriety for his critical statements directed towards Moroccan authorities, particularly the intelligence services.
