Female journalists launch a campaign for the release of Hajar Raissouni

Over fifty female international journalists have launched a campaign to call for the release of Moroccan journalist Hajar Raissouni, who was sentenced to one year in prison for «undergoing an abortion and having sex outside marriage».

The women supporting this campaign «believe that the arrest of Hajar Raissouni was to silence her as she was a critical journalist who continuously wrote pieces criticizing the state’s policy and supporting social movements».

In a communiqué sent to Yabiladi, Wednesday, the journalists, participating to this initiative stress that Raissouni’s «place is not in prison», urging others to «join the campaign and ask for her immediate release».

Female journalists working for CNN, France 24, Al Jazeera English, Mediapart, France Info and Causettes are also part of the #FreeHajar campaign.

For the record, Hajar Raissouni was arrested on August 31 in front of her gynecologist’s clinic. Her fiancé, doctor and his assistants were also jailed and sentenced.

The journalist denied all accusations, saying that she did not undergo an abortion and that she is married to her fiancé under Islamic law.