Retired Moroccan Judge Jailed for 3 Years Over Land Dispute Video Allegations

The verdict was handed down on Thursday evening. Retired judge Malika El Amri was sentenced to three years in prison and a fine of 2,000 dirhams, reports H24info. She was prosecuted, among other things, for "dissemination and distribution of false allegations and facts with the aim of harming privacy" and "defamation" of senior judicial officials. The magistrate will have to appeal the decision.

The facts attributed to the retired judge took place on June 28. In a video published on the Al Hayat Al Yaoumia YouTube channel, the former judge cited and accused judicial officials of having facilitated the "illegal appropriation of land belonging to her father," valued at more than 600 million dirhams. Complying with the instructions of the Casablanca prosecutor’s office, the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ) had opened a thorough investigation into these accusations.

After being presented at liberty by the BNPJ, the 68-year-old judge was placed in detention for "dissemination and distribution of false allegations and facts with the aim of harming the privacy of individuals and defaming them," "contempt of magistrates," "contempt of the judicial police by denouncing a crime that she knew had not taken place," "contempt of a legally constituted organization" and "contempt of judicial decisions by statements aimed at undermining the authority and independence of justice," as well as "public statements aimed at influencing the decisions of magistrates before the pronouncement of a final judgment."

The second hearing of Malika El Amri’s trial had been postponed to July 31 due to the absence of the retired judge, hospitalized in critical condition. The numerous requests from the defense for her release on bail were met with refusal by the court. "After a summary hearing, the prosecution decided to continue her detention. My mother could not bear the news, she fainted before being transferred to the hospital," recounted the judge’s daughter to the press. Her mother was admitted to the Mohammed V Hospital in Casablanca (Hay Mohammadi). She suffers from several pathologies.

"The doctors discovered that she had a kind of blood clot and a very high CRP (C-reactive protein), in addition to the chronic illnesses she has, including diabetes," she regretted. "Her situation is very worrying, as she had two strokes a few years ago and she has just contracted Covid-19. The doctor told us that she has olfactory and gustatory disorders," she added. That’s not all. According to her, the 68-year-old judge also had hypertensive encephalopathy.