Moroccan Man Sentenced to 5 Years for Facebook Posts Criticizing Israel Normalization

The defendant, aged 48, "was sentenced on Monday to five years in prison because of publications on Facebook where he denounces the normalization with Israel in a way that could be interpreted as a criticism aimed at the king," said his lawyer, Me El Hassan Essouni.

The defense of Saïd Boukioud has already appealed this decision of the court of first instance of Casablanca which it considers "heavy and incomprehensible", specifying that the intention of his client was not to offend the king. The proof, Boukouid "deleted the (incriminating) publications and closed his (Facebook) account when he learned that he was being prosecuted in Morocco," his lawyer said.

The facts date back to the end of 2020, when the convicted person was residing and working in Qatar. He was convicted under Article 267-5 of the Penal Code, which punishes "anyone who attacks the monarchical regime" with a sentence of six months to two years in prison. A sentence that can go up to five years if the offense is committed in public, "including by electronic means".

Morocco and Israel normalized their diplomatic relations in 2020 as part of the Abraham Accords, under the aegis of the United States, and have since then continued to strengthen their cooperation in all areas. Several Moroccans continue to demonstrate against the normalization of relations with the Hebrew state.