Morocco: King Mohammed VI grants royal pardon to three imprisoned journalists

Three journalists sentenced to long prison terms for exposing corruption and abuse of power in Morocco were freed Monday after receiving a royal pardon from Mohammed VI.

Omar Radi, Taoufik Bouachrine and Soulaimane Raissouni are among the 2,278 people pardoned this week, as reported by the Moroccan Ministry of Justice. The pardon decision came as Morocco prepared to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Mohammed VI’s accession to the throne.

As head of state, the king has the power to grant pardons that result in reduced sentences for journalists, but this does not extend to civil penalties or court-imposed fines. The journalists were released in Tiflet, a town east of Rabat, to cheering supporters.

While human rights advocates welcomed the decision, they stressed that it does not absolve Moroccan authorities of accusations of politically motivated prosecutions of journalists. Human rights activist Fouad Abdelmoumni expressed his reservations on Facebook, calling for further progress toward democracy.

The journalists, emblematic of Morocco’s crackdown on government critics, had been convicted of sex crimes they have strongly denied, saying they were politically motivated and related to their work. Human rights groups have noted that while the allegations merit investigation, Morocco has allegedly used them to discredit and intimidate its opponents.