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Rabat – Casablanca’s Appeal Court upheld a five-year prison sentence for Moroccan journalist Soulaiman Raissouni on February 23.
The court initially issued its sentence for the journalist in July 2021, convicting him for charges related to “violent indecent assault.”
Police arrested Raissouni in May 2020 after an individual filed a lawsuit against him, accusing him of sexual assault.
Raissouni, who continues to deny the accusations, was the editor-in-chief for the Arabic language newspaper Akhbar Al Youm.
Raissouni argues that his imprisonment is due to his journalistic work. He receives support from some journalists and family members who call for his release.
Raissouni also said he went on a hunger strike in 2021, which Morocco’s prison authority DGAPR publicly denied.
DGAPR said Raissouni was only on a “diet,” maintaining that the journalist enjoys all his rights, including frequent health monitoring.
