Moroccan Activist Gets One-Year Sentence for Quake Criticism

A Moroccan appeals court has increased activist Said Ait Mehdi's prison sentence to one year for defamation and spreading false news regarding the government's response to the September 2023 earthquake, which killed over 2,900 people. Initially sentenced to three months, Ait Mehdi led protests advocating for earthquake victims and criticized the government's aid distribution efforts. Following the earthquake, Morocco has pledged to spend 120 billion dirhams on reconstruction, yet only 1,000 out of 57,000 destroyed homes have been rebuilt. The ruling has drawn criticism from Ait Mehdi's lawyer, who argued it exacerbates the suffering of those still living in temporary shelters. Meanwhile, another activist, Fouad Abdelmoumni, was sentenced to six months for spreading false allegations related to Morocco's diplomatic relations with France, a case highlighting ongoing tensions over freedom of expression in the kingdom. Both cases reflect the broader challenges faced by activists in Morocco amid a crackdown on dissent.