Rabat – The Marrakech Court of First Instance has decided to postpone the blackmail case involving Moroccan singer Dounia Batma and her sister Ibtissam until July 28.
Batma appeared before the judge on Tuesday, July 22, for her involvement in the Hamza mon bb blackmail affair.
Maghreb Arab Press (MAP) reported that the judge of the criminal chamber at the court decided to postpone the examination of the case for a fourth time.
Ibtissam, Dounia Batma’s sister, is still in detention along with Aicha Ayach, a Moroccan “influencer” involved in the case, as well as another suspect (S.CH).
“The latest postponement occurs because of the need for the presence of one of the plaintiffs for a direct confrontation with the third parties,” a source told MAP.
The Batma sisters’ defense team also requested more time to learn “the ins and outs of the case” and prepare their arguments.
The decision to postpone the prosecution comes after the judge ruled to adjourn the case until June 11.
Dounia Batma and her sister face heavy charges for allegedly fraudulently accessing personal data to disseminate people’s private conversations and pictures through data systems without consent.
The charges also include sharing people’s information with the intention to undermine privacy and reputation.
Hamza mon bb is one of the most renowned blackmail cases in Morocco’s history, making national and international headlines since 2016.
The case references a social media account active on Instagram and Snapchat where it shares indecent photos, videos, and content to undermine people’s privacy.
Dounia Batma and her sister were also facing charges of fraud, however, the court decided to drop the fraud charges.
Police summoned both sisters in December of last year. Police freed them on bail. Security services, however, arrested Ibtissam in March for her alleged involvement in the case.
The two sisters continue to deny the accusations, but some of the alleged victims who filed complaints about the sisters are sure of the Batma sisters’ guilt.
