Zwarte Schaap
05-08-03, 22:11
Two Extremists, Three Journalists Jailed for 10 to 1 Year
RABAT, Aug. 05 - The court of appeal of Rabat handed down Monday sentences ranging between 10 and 1 years against the extremist group of "Zakaria Boughrara".
The main defendant, Zakaria Boughrara was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 500,000 Dhs (US $50,000). Another member of the group, Youssef Boughrara, was sentenced to 5 years and fined 500,000 Dhs.
Three journalists, Mohamed El Hourd, director of "Acharq" newspaper, its editor in chief, Abdelmajid Bentahar, and Mustapha Qachnini, director of "Al Hayat Al Maghribia" newspaper, who were sued for publishing articles of Boughrara that called for acts likely to undermine the state's interior security, were sentenced respectively to 3 years, and one year (Bentahar and Qachnini). The two newspapers which are both published in Oujda were suspended for a three-month period.
Mohamed El Hourd was also sentenced to pay a fine of 10,000 Dhs (US $1,000) whereas the two other journalists will pay a fine of 5,000 Dhs (US $500).
The five defendants have an 8-day deadline to lodge an appeal.
The accused were mainly sued for "inciting for crimes and felony through publications, collecting and managing funds from foreign sources to use them for terrorist acts, complicity in forging a passport and obtaining the passport through identity usurpation and publishing false information likely to undermine the public order.
© MAP 2003
RABAT, Aug. 05 - The court of appeal of Rabat handed down Monday sentences ranging between 10 and 1 years against the extremist group of "Zakaria Boughrara".
The main defendant, Zakaria Boughrara was sentenced to 10 years in prison and fined 500,000 Dhs (US $50,000). Another member of the group, Youssef Boughrara, was sentenced to 5 years and fined 500,000 Dhs.
Three journalists, Mohamed El Hourd, director of "Acharq" newspaper, its editor in chief, Abdelmajid Bentahar, and Mustapha Qachnini, director of "Al Hayat Al Maghribia" newspaper, who were sued for publishing articles of Boughrara that called for acts likely to undermine the state's interior security, were sentenced respectively to 3 years, and one year (Bentahar and Qachnini). The two newspapers which are both published in Oujda were suspended for a three-month period.
Mohamed El Hourd was also sentenced to pay a fine of 10,000 Dhs (US $1,000) whereas the two other journalists will pay a fine of 5,000 Dhs (US $500).
The five defendants have an 8-day deadline to lodge an appeal.
The accused were mainly sued for "inciting for crimes and felony through publications, collecting and managing funds from foreign sources to use them for terrorist acts, complicity in forging a passport and obtaining the passport through identity usurpation and publishing false information likely to undermine the public order.
© MAP 2003