A journalist before criminal court for his comment on twitter against a judge


Moroccan journalist and activist Omar Randy will stand trial in Morocco in March on charges of insulting a judge via Twitter, according to the Observatory for Human Rights.
Randy, a 33-year-old award-winning journalist who has been involved in corruption reporting in Morocco and has worked with various international media outlets, was due to be sentenced on January 2, 2020, but the case was postponed.
According to CNN, Randy faces up to one year in prison if he is eventually convicted of a tweet he made nine months ago against a judge.
Several people rallied in support of Randy outside the country's parliament in the capital Rabat demanding his acquittal and speaking about revenge against a reporter for investigative journalism.
Last April, Randy posted a critical comment about a judge who upheld the verdict against a protest movement. The leaders of the protest movement were sentenced in June 2018 to 20 years in prison, the Human Rights Watch said.
"Let us all remember that Judge Lahcen Tolfi is against our brothers. In many regimes, judges like him come back a little later, apologizing for the mere fact that they were simply executing orders. Do not forget or forgive such officials, "Randy wrote on Twitter, and his post sparked reactions from the authorities.
After ten days, the police interrogated him and eventually the journalist faces criminal charges and imprisonment. However, according to the Human Rights Watch, he is not alone, as are other public figures, including singers and even students, who have been arrested for comment on social media.
Finally, a court in Morocco has decided to release the journalist and activist Omar Radi, who is due to appear in court again on March 5, 2020. Eventually, the court adjourned the case at the request of its new lawyers to examine the case file. (source: legalnews24.gr)

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Ombudsman inquiry on Commission President’s text messages is a wake-up call for EU

Image
The European Ombudsman inquiry into the Commission’s handling of a request for text messages between its President and the CEO of a pharmaceutical company is a wake-up call for all EU institutions about ensuring accountability in an era of instant messaging. One year after the initial request by a journalist, the Commission has still not clarified whether messages reported to concern major vaccine procurement deals exist and whether the public is entitled to see them. The Ombudsman had asked the Commission, in a finding of maladministration in January, to conduct a more thorough search for the text messages. The Commission’s recent response failed to say whether it had looked directly and correctly for the text messages and if not, why not. While the response recognised that work-related text messages can be EU documents, it reiterated that the Commission’s internal policy is, in effect, not to register text messages. The Ombudsman has closed  the inquiry  and upheld...
Read more

The “Green Maze”: Environmental Obligations for Cement Companies in Greece and Cyprus

Image
Written by Efi Thoma * The cement industry plays a crucial role in the infrastructure development of both Greece and Cyprus. However, this essential sector also carries a significant environmental footprint. From quarrying raw materials to the energy-intensive production process, cement companies face increasing scrutiny and stringent legal obligations aimed at mitigating their impact on the environment. This article delves into the key environmental issues and the pertinent legal frameworks in Greece and Cyprus that cement manufacturers must navigate. Both Greece and Cyprus, as members of the European Union, are bound by a substantial body of EU environmental law. This includes cornerstone directives such as the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Directive, the Industrial Emissions Directive (IED), the Waste Framework Directive, and legislation addressing climate change and biodiversity. These EU regulations are transposed into national law in both countries, forming the bedrock ...
Read more

Air passenger rights: A boarding pass may be sufficient to prove a confirmed reservation on a flight

Image
According to the Judgment of the European Court of Justice in Case C-20/24, a boarding pass may be sufficient to prove a confirmed reservation on a flight. Payment by a third party of the price of the package tour, including a flight, does not exclude the right to compensation in the event of long delay of a flight.  An air carrier offering charter flights concluded a contract with a tour operator. Under that contract, the carrier operated, on specific dates, flights for which that tour operator, after paying for the flights, sold tickets to air passengers. Two air passengers participated in a package tour, including a flight from Tenerife to Warsaw, the arrival of which was delayed by more than 22 hours. The contract relating to the package tour was concluded between a third company, on behalf of those passengers, and that tour operator. The passengers concerned claimed compensation from the air carrier under EU law. [1]  The latter refused to pay that compensation. It argued...
Read more

The first international convention on protecting lawyers adopted by the Council of Europe

Image
The Council of Europe has adopted the first-ever international treaty aiming to protect the profession of lawyer. This is to respond to increasing reports of attacks on the practice of the profession, whether in the form of harassment, threats or attacks, or interference with the exercise of professional duties (for example, obstacles to access to clients). Lawyers play a key role in upholding the rule of law and securing access to justice for all, including to vindicate possible human rights violations. Therefore, public confidence in justice systems also depends on the role played by lawyers. The  Council of Europe Convention for the Protection of the Profession of Lawyer  covers lawyers and their professional associations, whose role is vital in defending lawyers’ rights and interests as a profession. The Convention addresses entitlement to practise, professional rights, freedom of expression, professional discipline and specific protective measures for lawyer...
Read more

Status of long-term resident in Cyprus: Appeal against the rejection decision

Image
By Giorgos Kazoleas, Lawyer in Cyprus Third-country nationals residing in areas controlled by the Government of the Republic legally and continuously for the last five years prior to the submission of the application and holding a valid residence permit in the Republic can apply along with the required original documents in order to obtain the status of long-term resident in Cyprus. It often happens that the Administration (in this case the Immigration Department) does not properly assess the facts and circumstances of the applicant and does not properly check the requirement for obtaining the status, resulting in a rejection decision. This decision is notified to the applicant and must contain clear justification for the reasons for the rejection of the application. It must also state that the applicant has the right to appeal against the rejection decision within 75 days from the notification of the decision. According to the Aliens and Immigration Law, [1]   in order to...
Read more