Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet released after three-day detention on defamation charges
The release of the 66-year-old government critic follows pressure from international media rights groups, though his ability to leave the country remains uncertain.
Prominent Moroccan journalist Ali Lmrabet has been released from police custody three days after his arrest at Tangier airport, following sustained pressure from international media rights organisations. The 66-year-old, who has been based in Spain for several years, was detained upon his arrival from Spain on charges of defamation.
Lmrabet was held from Sunday until Wednesday, with his release coming after public appeals from Reporters Without Borders (RSF) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ). Upon his release, he told RSF that he only practices journalism and does not engage in politics, adding that the fact that independent journalism seems to bother many people is a concern.
The public prosecutor confirmed that an investigation remains open regarding "defamatory and insulting remarks against individuals and institutions." While RSF welcomed the release and called for the case to be dismissed, it remains unclear whether Lmrabet is permitted to leave the country at this stage.
Lmrabet has a long history of conflict with Moroccan authorities. He previously published weekly publications Demain Magazine and Doumane, both of which were banned in 2003 after he was convicted of insulting the king. He was sentenced to three years in prison but was released in early 2004 under a royal pardon. Additionally, he was banned from working in journalism in Morocco between April 2005 and April 2015 following convictions related to comments on displaced people from Western Sahara.
The arrest coincides with the court appearance of rapper and filmmaker Mehdi El Youbi in Casablanca, sparking warnings from activists about an intensifying crackdown on regime critics. El Youbi appeared before a court without a lawyer due to a lawyers’ strike, having been arrested after being barred from returning to France. The Association of Maghrebi Workers in France issued a statement warning against treating the escalation of arrests as business as usual, describing repression as an unacceptable form of governance.
