In a recent legal development, the Moroccan Rabat Court of First Instance has sentenced journalist Hamid El Mahdaoui, the editor-in-chief of the Badil news outlet, to 18 months in prison for charges of defamation against the Moroccan Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi. The court also ordered Mahdaoui to pay a civil compensation of approximately USD $150,000 to the justice minister. This verdict comes after a lawsuit was filed by Ouahbi in October, asserting that Mahdaoui engaged in “spreading and distributing false claims and information to harm the reputation of individuals, along with defamation and public insults,” in accordance with articles 443, 444, and 446 of the Moroccan penal code.
The case highlights a video allegation by Mahdaoui, claiming that Ouahbi had received a luxury car from an individual involved in an ongoing legal case. The Minister’s defense team sought the maximum penalty for Mahdaoui and proposed a financial audit of his YouTube channel, suggesting that any generated revenue should be court-ordered for charitable distribution. Despite the compelling defense presented by Mahdaoui, he was convicted, leaving him contemplating the merits of an appeal, having expressed doubts about further legal recourse in his interview with Reuters.
This verdict has been criticized by Hemam, the Moroccan Association in Support of Political Detainees, which described the ruling as unjust, asserting that the trial had a political undercurrent favoring influential figures. The association’s position reflects broader concerns about the political and legal pressures faced by journalists in Morocco.
This is not the first time Mahdaoui has faced legal challenges. Previously, he was sentenced to three years in prison following allegations linked to the Hirak Rif protests in 2017. The charges were related to inciting demonstrations and, later, for failing to report a purported crime heard during a telephone conversation. The latter case drew criticism from international human rights organizations, including Human Rights Watch, which condemned the ruling as an infringement on Mahdaoui’s freedom of expression.
This recent verdict spotlights ongoing debates about media freedom in Morocco. The country was ranked 129th out of 180 nations in the 2024 World Press Freedom Index by Reporters Without Borders, which underlines the challenging landscape for Moroccan journalists.