Rabat – Morocco’s General Delegation for Prison Administration and Reintegration (DGAPR) has clarified its decision to transfer Moroccan journalist Omar Radi from Casablanca’s local prison of Ain Sebaa 1 to Tiflet local prison 2, located 65 kilometers from Rabat.
Radi’s father Driss Radi has condemned the transfer of his son from Casablanca, where he was undergoing treatment for Crohn’s disease. Radi’s father also accused DGAPR of “hardening his son’s detention.”
In response, DGAPR released a communique today, clarifying that it had transferred Radi to another prison because the Ain Sebaa local prison is reserved for people in pre-trial detention or awaiting to appeal their verdict.
DGAPR also emphasized that the Casablanca prison is also overcrowded with more than 9,000 prisoners, double its initial capacity estimated at 4,500 prisoners.
The DGAPR statement established that the verdict on the appeal against Radi had been already declared.
DGAPR added that the transfer also took into account that Radi is originally from Rabat.
DGAPR reassures the public that Radi’s medical file has been handed over to the local prison of Tiflet 2.
The prison authority explained that Tiflet 2 prison authorities will allow transferring Radi to a hospital if his case requires his relocation.
DGAPR reaffirmed that Radi’s health situation will be monitored by the medical staff of the prison facility.
In July 2021, A Moroccan court sentenced Omar Radi to a six-year prison sentence for “rape” and “receiving funds from a foreign agent.”
Casablanca’s Court of Appeal upheld the same sentence against the journalist in March 2020.
