Journalist Hamid El Mehdawi, editor-in-chief of Moroccan news site Badil, has been sentenced to 18 months in prison by a Rabat court on charges of “public defamation and slander” against Justice Minister Abdellatif Wahbi.
El Mehdawi was also ordered to pay $150,000 in civil damages. Known for his outspoken criticism of government policies, El Mehdawi’s conviction follows accusations he made about Wahbi’s alleged fraud and misconduct in a video. Wahbi denies all allegations.
“I am innocent, and I never expected a prison sentence,” El Mehdawi stated, adding he has not yet decided whether to appeal. Khadija El Ryadi from the Moroccan Association for Human Rights criticized the use of the Criminal Code, which carries prison terms, rather than the Press Code.
El Mehdawi was previously sentenced to three years by a Casablanca court for “failure to report a crime affecting state security,” serving his term until July 2020.
