Cairo: 30 January, 2020
The Arabic Network for Human Rights Information (ANHRI) condemned today bringing blogger Rachid Taheri, also known as “Basirou”, to trial, which is set to convene today, for allegedly “insulting the Kingdom’s symbols, rules and norms” against the backdrop of publishing videos on corruption in the health and education sectors.
On Monday, 28 January 2020, judicial police personnel affiliated with Morocco’s Casablanca-Settat’s security officials arrested Rachid Taheri, aka “Basirou”, from one of the city’s coffee shops, before they raided his house and confiscated his computer and cell phone. His arrest was against the backdrop of a report filed against him by the Royal Youth Association based on some videos he posted on his account on social media.
Rachid Taheri had been detained at “Settat” Security Directorate’s headquarters before he appeared yesterday, Wednesday, before the Public Prosecutor of Settat’s Court of First Instance, which charged him with “insulting the Kingdom’s symbols, norms and values”. The court set today (Thursday) to be the first hearing of Taheri’s trial.
It is worth noting that Rachid Taheri is a Youtuber who have made many videos supporting Nasser Zefzafi’s Popular Mobilization movement, commonly known as Hirak Rif. He was also present at most of the trial sessions of Mohamed Sakaki, known as “Moul Lkaskita” who was brought to trial for publishing videos that the Moroccan authorities deemed offensive.
ANHRI said: “The trial of Rachid Taheri came as part of government crackdown to restrict freedom of expression by targeting singers and social media activists. During the past few days, many young people have been prosecuted in connection with opinion-related cases. Among them are: Mooccan rapper widely known as “Gnawi”, student Hamza Asbaaar, student Ayoub Mahfouz, human rights activist Abdel-Aali Bahammad (aka Buddha Ghassan), Mohamed El-Sakaki (aka “Moul Lkaskita”) and journalist Omar Al-Radi.”
ANHRI added: “Rachid Taheri, whose trial is set to convene today, is being prosecuted for publishing a video and earlier student Hamza Asbaaar for performing a rap song. Every night we have a nightmare for the prosecution of opinion activists and we dream of a day when this nightmare fades away and when every citizen in Morocco can express his opinion freely without fearing of imprisonment or prosecution”.
ANHRI called on the Moroccan authorities to release activist Rachid Taheri as well as all prisoners of conscience, drop the bogus charges pressed against him, unleash and declare the right to freedom of opinion and expression, and to put an end to the prosecution of activists.
