RSF denounces the judicial persecution of Morocco's Taoufik Bouachrine

International NGO Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said that «is stunned by the Moroccan judicial system’s determination to persecute newspaper owner and editorialist Taoufik Bouachrine», who saw his jail sentence increased from 12 to 15 years on appeal.

In a statement published, Monday, the head of RSF’s North Africa bureau Souhaib Khayati said that the «judicial persecution of Taoufik Bouachrine is incomprehensible». «We call on Morocco’s justice system to overturn this journalist’s conviction and free him at once», he added.

The Paris-based association stressed that Bouachrine, who was arrested in February 2018 and convicted in November 2018 of Human trafficking, abuse of power for sexual purposes, rape and attempted rape, «has always denied the charges and insisted that he was the victim of a political trial».

On Friday, Bouachrine had his sentence increased and was fined a «massive 255,000 euros».