Moroccan Islamist Activist Jailed for Facebook Posts Critical of Saudi Arabia

A member of Al Adl Wal Ihssane, considered the largest Moroccan Islamist organization in Morocco, Mohamed Boustati was sentenced at the end of March to one year in prison in the first instance. The Islamist activist was arrested and detained in late February, following a complaint from Saudi intelligence services denouncing his Facebook publications, deemed offensive to Saudi institutions and symbols, his lawyer, Mohamed Nouini, informed in March.

The Khouribga Court of Appeal has just confirmed the sentence pronounced in the first instance against the accused, sentencing him to "one year in prison and a fine of 2,000 dirhams". An "unjust decision," his lawyer declared on Tuesday, emphasizing that his client’s publications on social networks are "criticisms" of Arab countries’ positions on the Gaza war and the normalization of relations with Israel.

During Tuesday’s hearing, Mr. Nouini invoked "freedom of expression," emphasizing that Boustati’s publications "concerned general issues and did not target anyone or any institution". The lawyer also recalled that the activist "denied writing some publications" and claimed that "his Facebook account had been hacked". These arguments did not convince the court, which deemed these publications "defamatory".

Another member of Al Adl Wal Ihssane, a fervent supporter of the Palestinian Hamas movement, was sentenced in early March to two years in prison for "inciting hatred" after Facebook publications that, according to the prosecution, "glorified" a knife attack in Israel.