Moroccan journalist Hamid Mahdaoui, known for his critical reporting and role as editor-in-chief of Badil.info, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison on defamation charges involving Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi. The court in Rabat also imposed a fine of 1.5 million dirhams ($150,000).
The charges stemmed from a video published on Mahdaoui’s website, where he accused Ouahbi of fraudulent activities, allegations the minister denies.
“I am innocent … I did not expect this prison sentence,” Mahdaoui stated, noting that he had not yet decided on an appeal.
Khadija Riadi from the Moroccan human rights group AMDH highlighted that Mahdaoui was sentenced under the penal code, which allows prison terms, unlike the press code. Mahdaoui had previously served a three-year sentence for not reporting a crime against state security and was released in July 2020.
