Moroccan activist gets jail sentence extended
Saida El Alami, a Moroccan human rights activist currently serving a three-year jail term, has been handed an additional two-year prison sentence in a separate case, according to The New Arab.
El Alami, was previously sentenced in September when she was found guilty for “insulting” government bodies, public officials, and “spreading false allegations,” resulting in a three-year prison term. Up until her arrest, El Alami had been an active online activist, even describing herself as a “political dissident” on Facebook. Besides expressing solidarity with imprisoned Moroccan journalists and activists, El Alami openly criticized the corruption of the Moroccan judiciary.
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A court in Casablanca ruled that El Alami needed to serve an extra two years behind bars and pay a fine of 2,000-dirham ($195). El Alami’s legal representative, Ahmed Ait Bennacer, explained that she was found guilty of “insulting the king” and “insulting a magistrate or public servant” based on statements she made during her previous trial.
After hearing the new charge on May 24th, El Alami’s defense team confirmed their plans to appeal the verdict.
