chargement...
After he was summoned by the National Brigade of the Judicial Police (BNPJ), Thursday, Moroccan journalist Omar Radi is to be tried over a tweet, in which he referred to a Hirak judge.
The activist appeared, Thursday evening, before the first instance judge in Casablanca, his lawyer Omar Benjelloun told Yabiladi earlier today. He explained that the journalist is charged with «offending a judge», by the prosecutor who scheduled the first hearing of the trial for the same day.
A second hearing was scheduled for January 2, 2020 after the court refused to grant Radi provisional release, awaiting his trial.
Benjelloun said the charge is based on Art 263 from the Penal Code, which punishes the act of «insulting state agents whilst performing their duties». Art 263 refers to the infraction of «offending state officials with the intention of causing prejudice to their honor, feelings, or the respect due their authority».
J'ai reçu une convocation, orale puis écrite, de la part de la Brigade nationale de la police judiciaire(BNPJ). Je m'y présenterai demain. J'ignore les raisons de cette nouvelle convocation. Il y a 9 mois, j'avais été convoqué au même service de police pour une histoire de tweet. pic.twitter.com/Fe6l31VNiC
— Omar Radi (@OmarRADI) December 25, 2019
Radi’s lawyer, told Yabiladi that the Moroccan journalist will remain under detention and faces a two-year sentence and a fine ranging from 250 to 5,000 dirhams, according to said act.
«He is prosecuted by the prosecutor and was immediately brought to court for the first hearing. Said Benhammani (Radi's second lawyer) and I will ask for the postponement of the hearing to prepare our defence and request provisional release», he added.
Summoned because of a tweet
Earlier on Thursday, Radi was brought before the King’s prosecutor in Casablanca over said tweets. This comes after he was summoned, Wednesday, by BNPJ, as he wrote on his Twitter account, publishing a photo of the convocation.
A propos du portrait du juge de la cour d’appel de Casablanca, Lahcen Tolfi, publié sur le dernier numéro de Telquel, quelques remarques??
— Omar Radi (@OmarRADI) April 15, 2019
According to Arabic-language newspaper Lakome, BNPJ has decided to bring the journalist before the Casablanca prosecutor after he was summoned earlier this year for the same purpose.
Indeed, on April 18, Radi was interrogated by the police for comments he made on Judge Lahcen Tolfi. The latter confirmed, April, sentences pronounced against several Hirak detainees, including the movement’s figure head Nasser Zefzafi.
Radi took to Twitter at the time, stating that he was shorlty questioned by the police for his tweets for more than four hours.
