«Escobar of the Sahara» : Agadir appeal court sentences activist Reda Taoujni to four years

On Tuesday, April 23, the Agadir Court of Appeal increased activist Mohamed Réda Taoujni's sentence to four years' imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 dirhams. He was originally sentenced to two years in prison and a 30,000 dirham fine by a lower court.

Taoujni was detained following a complaint filed by Justice Minister Abdellatif Ouahbi. The charges included «disseminating and publishing false allegations and facts with the intention of harming or defaming people's private lives, and usurping a function regulated by law and harming a public official in the performance of his duties».

For the record, Taoujni was arrested on February 9th by Agadir police after posting a video online about a possible connection between the «Escobar of the Sahara» affair and the Authenticity and Modernity Party (PAM).

PAM had previously warned it would take legal action against anyone damaging the party's reputation through false accusations. This warning came in a press release issued in January regarding the ongoing «Escobar du Sahara» court case.