A prominent Moroccan human rights activist, Fouad Abdelmoumni, will face trial in December on charges including spreading false information and insulting institutions. This comes after Abdelmoumni alleged that Morocco has been leveraging migration and intelligence operations to exert pressure on France, a Casablanca prosecutor reported on Friday.
Abdelmoumni was taken into custody on Wednesday for police questioning and was released on Friday. According to the prosecutor’s office, his comments, made on social media, “undermine the interests of the Kingdom and its institutions” and overstep freedom of expression by including “legally punishable offenses.”
Abdelmoumni posted his remarks on Facebook during French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to Morocco, suggesting—without providing evidence—that Morocco had been using migration and espionage to influence France. Macron’s visit aimed to mend diplomatic strains that have included issues around migration and security.
International rights groups, including Human Rights Watch, condemned the charges, stating they infringe on Abdelmoumni’s free speech rights. Moroccan human rights organization AMDH also criticized the arrest, calling it arbitrary and linked to Abdelmoumni’s political activism.
