A total of 8,612 people were arrested and judicial inquiries were opened into their cases by the competent public prosecutor's offices as part of security operations led by the General Directorate of National Security (DGSN) to fight against fake news that undermine citizens' security and ensure the implementation of health emergency rules to stop the spread of the coronavirus epidemic in the country.
As part of the fight against fake news on social media, 82 people were arrested for spreading baseless allegations on the coronavirus epidemic, or breaching the rights of covid-19 cases, calling for not implementing precautionary measures adopted by public authorities, posting hate speech messages or having insulting remarks about health workers, DGSN said Sunday in a statement.
As part of regular operations carried out by security services in the various Moroccan cities and urban centres, to ensure the implementation of health emergency measures, 8,530 people were arrested either because of the lack of an exceptional mouvement permit, breaching health emergency rules, using a forged document for exceptional movement, illegal transportation of people, preparing and selling medical and paramedical materials that threatens public health, as well as gathering and refraining from carrying out works ordered by the public authority.
The DGSN was keen to use all of its human and logistical resources to ensure the monitoring of movements within cities, to protect public and private property as well as to ensure a reinforced security presence to support the precautionary measures issued by the public authorities to safeguard the health and security of all citizens, the source pointed out.