Moroccan Singer Dounia Batma Seeks Pardon, Presents New Evidence in Cyberbullying Case

Will Dounia Batma finally prevail? During her appearance on the "Above 18" show, presented by journalist Rabia Zayyat, on the Lebanese channel Al Jadeed on Tuesday, she recalled having requested a pardon from King Mohammed VI following the rejection of her appeal by the Criminal Chamber of the Court of Cassation in Rabat. She also said she had presented new documents that could change the verdict in her favor. The Moroccan singer had been sentenced to eight months in prison in July 2020, before the Court of Appeal in Marrakech extended her sentence to one year in prison the following year.

Her sister Ibtissam Batma is also involved in the same case for serious computer offenses. The two sisters are accused in particular of having accessed personal data, in order to disseminate private conversations and photos of people via online applications without the consent of the victim. During the show, Dounia insisted that neither she nor her sister are the managers of "Hamza Mon Bébé", an anonymous social media account active on Instagram and Snapchat that became known for publishing intimate photos or private conversations of Moroccan stars, evolving between Morocco and the Gulf countries, in order to infringe on their privacy.

The interpreter of Kharboucha takes the opportunity to address Saida Charaf, prosecuted for insults, defamation and blackmail on social networks, after Dounia Batma and her sister Ibtissam filed a complaint against her. "You are attacking justice, because it is clearly stated in the verdict that neither I nor my sister are the owners of this account. For four years, I have been suffering in silence."