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Join on Telegram Rabat – A Moroccan court sentenced activist Said Ait Mahdi to three months in prison on Monday for criticizing local authorities’ handling of earthquake recovery efforts in the Marrakech region.
The court also ordered Ait Mahdi to pay 10,000 dirhams ($1000) in damages to each civil party involved.
The activist, who leads the Al Haouz Earthquake Victims Coalition, has been in custody since December 23.
Prosecutors charged him with defamation and publishing false claims that violated privacy. Three other members of his organization faced charges of insulting public officials but were acquitted.
The activist’ lawyer, Mohamed Nouini, told AFP that local officials filed complaints about social media posts they considered offensive. Nouini plans to appeal the verdict.
The case stems from the aftermath of the devastating 6.8-magnitude earthquake that struck the Marrakech region in September 2023.
The disaster killed nearly 3,000 people, injured 5,600 others, and damaged about 60,000 homes, particularly in the High Atlas mountains. Many survivors lived in tents for months after the quake.
The Al Haouz province, south of Marrakech, suffered some of the worst damage. Ait Mahdi’s organization has pushed for faster reconstruction and increased aid to affected families.
In early December, Moroccan authorities reported issuing 57,000 reconstruction permits. According to the latest official figures, workers have completed or started rebuilding more than 35,000 homes.
Read also: Morocco Allocates $80 Million for Healthcare Projects in Earthquake-Affected El Haouz
Morocco’s Ministry of Interior revealed earlier this month that over 27 individuals affected by the Al Haouz earthquake were victims of fraud at the hands of several construction contractors.
The government has announced that it would help families who lost their homes, allocating MAD 140,000 (around $14,000) for each family to rebuild their homes.
As a response to the devastation that took place in the region, an inter-ministerial committee has been overseeing reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts.
Meanwhile, a total of 63,766 families have been reported to have benefited from the monthly financial aid allocated to victims of the Al-Haouz earthquake.
Morocco has recently allocated over MAD 800 million ($79.29 million) to fund the construction, expansion, and rehabilitation of healthcare facilities in the Al-Haouz affected areas.
