Moroccan Blogger Jailed for Two Years Over Facebook Posts Criticizing Islam

Arrested after writing a series of posts on her Facebook page addressing certain issues related to Islam as well as the question of the existence of God, the blogger was found guilty by the court of first instance in Oued Zem. She was prosecuted for "public insult to the Islamic religion by publishing messages electronically," reports the MAP.

During the judicial investigation, the defendant claimed that these writings fall under the freedom of expression guaranteed by the constitution, stressing that she believes in secular thought. Presented before the judge, she was sentenced to two years in prison.

This verdict has been described as very severe by her brother, who explains on his Facebook page that his sister "clings to her king and her country to the point of madness, respects the constitution of the kingdom and trusts the institutions and agencies of the State, and has already run in the 2015 regional elections," adding that she "has chosen another religious belief after being the most ardent defender of the Islamic religion" for 34 years.

He also points out that Fatima "does not have a high scientific level that qualifies her to read a series of books and novels to discuss subjects related to the Islamic religion and the rest of other religions, which has forced her to coordinate behind groups on social networking sites and be affected by their discourse and their thought."