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The international NGO Human Rights Watch (HRW) stated on Thursday that arresting Fouad Abdelmoumni and charging him for peacefully expressing his views «would be a blatant violation of his right to free speech under international law».
Through its Middle East and North Africa Director, Lama Fakih, the organization said that it is «deeply troubled» by the arrest of this «prominent human rights activist», who is also a member of the Human Rights Watch Middle East Advisory Committee.
On Wednesday night, the Casablanca public prosecutor confirmed that Abdelmoumni, who is also the coordinator of the Moroccan Forum for the Support of Political Prisoners, had been arrested and placed in police custody. He faces accusations of «spreading false information» on social media, including «reporting a blatantly fictitious crime that he knows does not exist».
In a Facebook post on October 28, Abdelmoumni «criticized Morocco’s migration policies and the use of spyware to target dissidents», according to a written statement from HRW, which noted that the activist is «a former political prisoner» who has «been subjected for years to digital surveillance, including via Pegasus spyware, invasion of privacy, and repeated harassment by media linked to Moroccan security services».
The comment in question was made during the state visit of French President Emmanuel Macron to Morocco from October 28 to 30, 2024, and referred to issues in Morocco-France relations, the Pegasus affair, and a previous diplomatic crisis.
Announcing Abdelmoumni’s arrest on Wednesday evening, the Moroccan Instance for Supporting Political Prisoners stated that the activist is expected to appear before the King’s prosecutor this Friday, November 1, in Casablanca.
