Morocco’s Court of First Instance sentenced journalist Hajar Raissouni to a year in prison for having an “illegal abortion,” which she denies, in a case that sparked mass protests and drawn condemnation from rights groups.
On August 31, Raissouni, 28, was stopped outside a clinic in Rabat by police officers who questioned her about whether she had undergone an abortion.
Her fiance, Amin Rifaat, was also sentenced to one year in prison, and Dr. Mohammed Jamal Belkeziz, accused of performing the abortion, received a two-year sentence.
The doctor's assistant and a nurse at the clinic were also found guilty but were given suspended sentences.
Morocco's penal code states that abortion is illegal, unless the mother's life is in danger. The prosecutor said the gynecologist had been under surveillance for some time for performing illegal abortions.
Dozens of journalists and human rights protesters condemned the trial, which they described as unfair, demanding freedom for the journalist and the others involved in the case, stressing the need to protect freedom of expression and guarantee individual freedoms in the country.
Raissouni works for the Arabic-language daily “Akhbar al-Yaoum” which frequently publishes articles criticizing the state. Some linked the arrest to her articles that criticize the state, especially concerning the Hirak al-Rif protests.
Amnesty International asked for her immediate release, saying the charges were unjust, and Human Rights Watch (HRW) denounced the violation of her private life as an illustration of the “the country’s lack of respect of individual freedoms, and apparently the selective enforcement of unjust laws to punish critical journalism and activism.”
Two weeks ago, Amnesty launched a campaign to collect signatures for a communique to Moroccan Prime Minister Saadeddine Othmani demanding her release and dropping of all charges against her and the other detainees in this case.
The organization considered Raissouni’s arrest a flagrant violation of her privacy and fundamental rights.
Verdicts against defendants in the case are not final, and are subject to appeal, as the Court of Appeal is expected to confirm or annul the verdict in the next stage of litigation.
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