Event Summary
On 30 June 2025, the Rabat Court of Appeal upheld an 18-month prison sentence, 1.5 million dirhams ($150,000) compensation against journalist Hamid Mahdaoui, following a defamation complaint filed by the Moroccan Minister of Justice. Mahdaoui, a licensed journalist with a significant YouTube following, had published a series of podcasts discussing alleged misconduct involving the Minister. The Minister filed five complaints, accusing him of defamation and invasion of privacy.
Despite the case falling under press and publishing activities, Mahdaoui was prosecuted for disseminating false accusations and facts with defamatory intent, public insult, and slander, under articles 443, 444, and 447 of the Moroccan Penal Code, a practice widely criticized by civil society and rights organizations as “heavy and unfair,” highlighting a broader trend of using criminal law to silence journalists
This case, along with others—such as the 2024 sentencing of journalist Taoujni to four years in prison—illustrates a restrictive legal environment that undermines freedom of expression and press freedom. Civil society views such prosecutions as a threat to independent journalism, access to information, and public participation, weakening the enabling environment for democratic accountability.