Moroccan Journalist Faces Backlash Over Prison Conditions Exposé

Through about ten interviews given to local media and published on YouTube, Hamid El Mahdaoui, the former boss of Badil.info, gives details about his incarceration conditions and the regular clashes he had with the administration led by Mohamed Saleh Tamek, explains LeDesk. He describes, in rather crude terms, the food served to the inmates. "They bring us... dishes that look like anything but balanced," he denounces.

The reaction of the General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR) did not wait. In a press release, it described Hamid El Mahdaoui’s statements as "irresponsible" and aimed only at damaging the image of the prison institution. It further states that the restoration of prisoners is provided by a company that respects all the necessary conditions.

El Mahdaoui also mentions his skin problems, caused by the mandatory wearing of clothes before each medical consultation. "When I entered prison, I had no skin problems. It is therefore my right to file a complaint against the prison administration," he recounts.

In its press release, the prison administration led by Tamek recalls that the journalist could consult a general practitioner 50 times, in addition to 47 consultations with a dentist and a single consultation with a dermatologist. The garment imposed on Hamid El Mahdaoui was "always clean," assures the DGAPR.