MOROCCO: Internet writer jailed for insult

10 September 2008

RAN 44/08

The Writers in Prison Committee of International PEN protests the two-year jail sentence and fine of 5,000 dirhams (430 euros) handed down to internet writer Mohammed Erraji on 8 September 2008 for criticising King Mohammed in an online article. International PEN considers Mohammed Erraji to be detained in violation of his right to free expression as guaranteed by Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. Erraji is said to be in poor health, and PEN seeks immediate guarantees that he is being treated humanely and with full access to any necessary medical treatment.

According to PEN's information, internet writer Mohamed Erraji, aged 29, was arrested on 4 September 2008 for an article published in the online news website Hespress (www.hespress.com) accusing Morocco's monarchy of encouraging a culture of dependency. He argued in the article that the north African kingdom had been destroyed by the practice of handing out charity or gifts such as taxi licences to a lucky few, which encouraged people to rely on hand-outs. He was reportedly tried in the southern city of Agadir without the presence of a defence lawyer, at a trial which did not conform with international standards of fairness. He was convicted of "disrespect for the king" under article 41 of the Moroccan press law for writing an article entitled "King encourages dependency on handouts" that criticised Mohammed VI's custom of granting favours (http://hespress.com/article-erraji.html).

Erraji is Hespress's Agadir correspondent and writes regularly for the site. Since March 2007 he has also kept a blog called "Mohamed Erraji's world" (http://almassae.maktoobblog.com/) in which he writes about political and social issues. He is said to come from a poor family in the small town of Biougra near Agadir, and to be in poor health.

Erraji is being held in Inzegane prison, near Agadir. His family is appealing the sentence.

For an English translation of the article go to: http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/09/08/morocco-the-post-that-led-mohammah-erraji-to-jail