Appellate court confirms verdict against Sbalil

The Appellate court of Salé (Rabat twin-city) confirmed, on Tuesday, the first-instance verdict against rights activist, Brahim Sbalil.

    Sbalil, a member of the Moroccan Human Rights Center (CMDH), was sentenced, on July 10, to six months in prison and fined $ 140 on the charges of "contempt of public authorities by reporting fictitious crimes" about the June 7 clashes between security forces and demonstrators in the south-western port city of Sidi Ifni.

    On July 11, Sbalil was sentenced, along with the chief of the pan-Arab Al jazeera news channel bureau in Morocco, Hassan Rachidi, to pay USD 6,900 each. Both were charged -under article 42 of the press code- of publishing false information and conspiracy.

    Sbalil was arrested on June 26 after a news conference in which he said unemployed demonstrators in Sidi Ifni were killed and women were raped. He described the action of security forces as a "crime against humanity."
 
    Local authorities strenuously denied his allegations, saying the clashes only caused 48 injuries, mostly among the police. 188 rioters were arrested and only a dozen were charged.

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