Spanish Court Overturns Firing of Bank Executive for Rif Protest Participation

The second chamber of the Constitutional Court unanimously decided to uphold Jouad Ballahsan’s appeal for protection, who denounced his employer, Chaabi Bank, for having fired him for taking an active part in a demonstration. This dismissal is null and void, because it violates the right to ideological freedom in connection with the rights to freedom of expression and assembly, the Court declared in its ruling handed down on Friday and to which El Confidencial had access.

The Madrid labor court had already declared this dismissal null and void in July 2018, ordering Chaabi Bank to reinstate Jouad Ballahsan in his position as director and pay him all the salaries he would have received if he had not been dismissed, as well as compensation of 6,292 euros for the moral damage suffered. Chaabi Bank, owned by the Moroccan state, appealed this judgment to the Superior Court of Justice of Madrid, which ruled in its favor, considering that the director had violated the contractual good faith and committed a breach of trust.

The general manager of Chaabi Bank for Spain acknowledged before the social court in 2018 that she had received the order from her headquarters in Rabat to investigate Jaouad Ballahsan after learning that he had participated in the demonstration in Madrid.

This decision of the Constitutional Court is a victory for many Riffians. "There are people who are in prison for having ’liked’ a photo on social networks. This dismissal really hurt me. I was depressed for seven months [...] ", explains Jouad, who, without a salary from one day to the next, was able to survive thanks to the support of his family and friends.