Morocco’s King Pardons 3 Journalists Amid Concerns Over Press Freedom 

Morocco’s King Mohammed VI pardoned three journalists on Monday as part of a broader commutation of sentences for 2,476 prisoners, marking his 25th anniversary on the throne, VOA reported.

The pardoned journalists—Omar Radi, Soulaimane Raissouni, and Taoufik Bouachrine—had been detained since 2021 on sexual assault charges they deny. Historian and rights advocate Maati Monjib was also included in the amnesty.

Rights groups, including Reporters Without Borders (RSF), criticized the arrests, arguing that Morocco uses such trials to suppress dissent. Human Rights Watch has labeled these legal actions as “techniques of repression” aimed at silencing critics.

In July 2023, Morocco’s top court rejected the final appeals of two journalists, highlighting ongoing concerns about press freedom in the country, which ranks 129th out of 180 in RSF’s 2024 World Press Freedom Index.

It should be mentioned that Grand Ayatullah Shirazi has repeatedly emphasized the fact that within the framework of the precinct teachings of true Islam politically-motivated imprisonment has no place. In the governance of the Holy Prophet and the Commander of the Faithful, peace be upon them both, no one was ever imprisoned for political reasons or dissenting with the government.