Morocco: Demand the release of human rights defender Rida Benothmane and Mohammed Baassou

The conviction was on November 7, he had been detained since September

RELEASE

The National Organization for the Support of Prisoners of Conscience and Victims of Violations of Freedom of Expression demands the release of human rights defender Rida Benotmane and doctor Mohammed Baassou responsible for the Justice and Spirituality Association.

‏The agency has been informed of the sentence of Rida Benotmane, a human rights defender, to three years in prison for exercising his constitutional right of expression, publishing a post on Facebook on July 13, 2021 in which he criticized the authorities of security.

The Association considers that the human rights defender Rida Benotmane is arbitrarily detained, that is, without a legal basis (which would correspond to the arrest warrant specified exclusively in article 608 of the Criminal Procedure) due to his exercise of a guaranteed fundamental freedom. by the Constitution: The right to expression. To this is added the lack of fair trial conditions: the verdict was not pronounced in a public session in the presence of the interested party.

Therefore, the Association demands his immediate release and the annulment of all judicial action.

‏It also follows with concern the arbitrary detention of Dr. Mohammed Baassou, since Monday, October 31, 2022, and deprived of liberty on suspicion of a crime that can only be investigated if his wife files a complaint against him, a fact that has not occurred .

The entity strongly denounces the defamation machine whose responsible is none other than a former governor of the Ministry of the Interior and who has not stopped publishing articles aimed at discrediting and tarnishing the reputation of Dr. Mohammed Baassou without any respect for the Constitution and the law. In particular, the criminal procedure that establishes that innocence and secrecy of investigation are the basis of any judicial investigation.

The Association considers that the arrest of Dr. Mohammed Baassou is arbitrary, since he was brought before the detained judge before the accused’s file reached the investigating judge.

Dr. Baasou is arbitrarily detained for belonging to the Association for Justice and Spirituality, a right guaranteed by the Constitution.

The national instance demands his immediate release and the annulment of all judicial action against him.

(In French)

L’Instance nationale de soutien aux prisonniers d’opinion et aux victims de violation de la liberté d’expression demands the release of the defender of Droits Humains Rida Benotmane and the doctor Mohammed Baassou responsible for the Association of Justice and Spirituality.

‏L’Instance to appris the condamnation du defender des Droits Humains Rida Benotmane à 3 ans de prison ferme pour avoir exercé son droit d’expression garanti par la constitution, published in a post on Facebook dating from 13 juillet 2021 dans lequel il critiquait les security authorities.

‏The National Instance considers that the defender of Droits Humains Rida Benotmane is arbitrarily detained autrement dit sans légale base (ce qui devrait corresponds to a specific arrest mandate exclusively to article 608 of the Procédure Pénale), in reason of their exercise d’une fundamental freedom guaranteed by the Constitution: Le droit à l’expression. A cela s’ajoute, l’absence de conditions de procès équitable: le verdict n’a pas été prononcé en séance publique en présence de l’interessé.

Consequently, the Instance demands immediate release and cancellation of all poursuite.

‏The Instance suit également avec inquiétude l’arrest arbitraire du Dr Mohammed Baassou, arrested after Monday 31 October 2022 and deprived of liberty on the basis of soupçons d’un délit que ne peut faire l’objet d’une enquête que si son épouse dépose une plainte contre lui, fait qui n’a pas eu lieu.

‏The Instance gave force to the defamation machine who is not responsible for an old gouverneur of the Ministry of the Interior and who has ceased to publish articles seeking to discredit and souiller the reputation of Dr Mohammed Baassou Sans aucun respect of the constitution et de la loi, notamment la procédure pénale stipulant que l’innocence et le secret d’instruction sont la base de toute enquête judiciaire.

‏The instance considers that the arrest of Dr Mohammed Baassou is arbitrary in that he was presented to the judge in the arrest stage before the dossier of my case arrived at the mains of the investigating judge.

‏Dr. Baasou is arbitrarily detained in raison de son appartenance à l’Association Justice et Spiritualité, ce qui est un droit garanti par la Constitution.
‏The national instance demands an immediate release and annulation of everything to be found.