End the gagging of freedom of expression

Our comrades Yousfi Mohamed, general secretary of the local group of Beni Mellal and his comrade Aji Abderahmane were handed down a one year’s prison sentence and 500 DH fine today (9/8/2007) at a dismissive appeal court hearing. 8 of our other activists from AMDH & ANDCM

At the first court hearing of the 25/07/2007 6 of them were acquitted (Abassi Abass, Fadel Mohamed, Aziz Timor, Aji Abderrahmane, Ismail Amrar, cherki Nabid ) and three were convicted to 2 months suspended sentece & 500 DH fine (Yousfi Mohamed, Ahensal Brahim, Rabaoui Abdelkbir).

Mohamed Bougrine, a 72 year-old activist was sentenced to one year in prison. This sentence was tranformed into a 3 year sentence by the court of appeal

This trial followed a sit-in protest organised in solidarity in several towns in Morocco, including the town of Beni Mellal, by solidarity committees to show solidairty with those arrested on May 1st 2007 and handed down heavy sentences of two to three years of prison for having acted against the sacred values of the realm.

All these sentences were increased by the Court of appeal of Ksar el Kebir, and transformed into sentences of two to four years in prison.

Attac Morocco denounces & condemns these sentences that are an attack against freedom of expression and that have created a new crime: the crime of solidarity - in a context that is one of increased attacks by neo-liberal policies that have disasterous consequences at all levels.

The regime is attempting to use this trial to silence all protesters who might express their opposition to the attacks to come. This is the real meaning of the repression that the miners who have been on strike for 5 weeks at Jbel Aoum are underging, and the court cases against certain independent newspapers and their management, particularly Nichan, Al Watan Al An...

Attac. Morocco demands the immediate unconditional release of all the activists who have been arrested and that the fact that people should be taken to court for expression of their solidarity should cease.

We call for national and international solidarity to confront this regression of the freedom of expression in Morocco