On November 19, the Moroccan government will put seven activists on trial as part of its ongoing crackdown on journalists and human rights defenders.
EFF has joined a , including Free Press Unlimited, Article 19, and Mamfakinch to express our concern about the harassment and prosecution of these activists and to demand that all charges be dropped immediately. Maâti Monjib, Hicham Mansouri, Samad Iach, Mohamed Elsabr, and Hisham Almiraat (aka Hisham Khribchi) are all facing criminal charges of “threatening the internal security of the state.” If found guilty, they could face up to five years in prison. Rachid Tarek and Maria Moukrim are facing charges of “receiving foreign funding without notifying the General Secretariat of the government.” If found guilty, they could face fines.
Dissidents in Morocco face continuous interrogations, threats, arrests, and . These prosecutions, meant to silence dissent against the Moroccan government, violate the defendants’ right to freedom of expression, guaranteed under Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
EFF and other organizations will be following the trial closely.