Rabat – Hafsa Boutahar, the alleged rape victim of Moroccan journalist Omar Radi, has criticized activists for publicizing and politicizing her case.
Boutahar filed a complaint last year against Radi, a journalist at Le Desk news, accusing him of raping her on July 12 of the same year.
In a tweet on April 19, Boutahar renewed her position, condemning the lack of support from human rights NGOs and activists.
She also questioned the growing support for Radi despite the sensitivity and seriousness of the charges he is facing.
In her tweet, Boutahar questioned the motivation of the support that Omar Radi continues to receive from NGOs and activists who work for “the benefit of third parties to achieve their objectives in the name of human rights.”
She notably criticized “some people” who defend and support Omar Radi without taking into account her case.
“Such blind support for someone facing charges of sexual misconduct is a way of silencing victims of rape and sexual assaults,” she argued.
Omar Radi has strongly denied all accusations against him, protesting his arrest through a hunger strike.
However, his alleged rape victim continues to condemn the lack of support for her case, advocating for women’s rights in all her press appearances.
Read also: ‘We Are Reliving the Years of Lead’: Omar Radi and the New Morocco Narrative
On March 10, Boutahar held a press conference at the National Union for the Moroccan Press, where she pledged solidarity with all the silent – and silenced – victims of sexual assault and rape.
During the press conference, Boutahar raised her voice to “encourage women” to speak up. She framed her increasing outspokenness as a part of her newfound determination to support other victims to seek justice and institutional protection against all kinds of violence.
Boutahar also accused NGOs of not doing enough to protect victims of rape, saying that their slogans, values, and vows are “nothing but words” that are “easily forgotten.”
She said that she felt “unprotected” when she asked for help after news emerged of her case.
Omar Radi, who continues to protest his arrest through a hunger strike, is also facing charges of “receiving funds from a foreign agent” and for “undermining Morocco’s internal security.”
The journalist maintains his innocence; he has argued that both his “arbitrary” arrest and all the charges now levelled against him stem from his “independent journalism” and his criticism of Moroccan authorities.
The journalist also claims to be the “victim of espionage” from the Moroccan government, whom he accused of spying on him using Israeli NSO spyware technology.
The Moroccan government has denied such claims.
In its latest statement on the case, the government took issue with both Radi’s “unfounded” allegations and Amnesty International’s “biased” and “politicized” coverage of Radi’s case and other similar instances under investigation.
