Moroccan Court to Rule on “Al Jazeera” Case on 11 July

The Moroccan judiciary will issue its verdict on 11 July about the “false information” case in which the bureau chief of the Al Jazeera television in Rabat and a Moroccan rights activist are accused, reliable sources told APA on Saturday.

The Rabat bureau chief, Hassan Rachidi and Brahim Sballil, an official at the Moroccan Human Rights Centre, on Friday appeared before the Rabat magistrates’ Court to answer to charges of “false information and complicity” under the Moroccan press code.

The Doha-(Qatar) based Al Jazeera TV is accused by Rabat of broadcasting a false report on 7 June about ten people being killed during clashes between security forces and young protesters in the south-western coastal city of Sidi Ifni.

The Arab station “hastily” referred to a declaration by the Moroccan activist without caring about the “categorical denial” from the Interior ministry, sources say in Rabat.

Journalist Rachidi had his accreditation withdrawn by the Moroccan authorities’ right after “this poor media blow”.

No one died in the Sidi Ifni incidents that occurred after a week long blockade by unemployed youths in the port city over “job demands”, authorities as well as local and foreign NGOs stressed. Rabat had reported that 48 people, 28 of whom among the security forces were injured in these incidents which had caused the deterioration of 800 tonnes of fish loaded in 89 trucks.

Source African Press Agency

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