Moroccan journalist gets 6-month suspended jail term in libel case

A court in Tangiers sentenced on Thursday Khalid Mechbal, editor-in-chief of the Ashamal weekly, to a six-month suspended jail term for a libel against Foreign and Cooperation Minister, Mohamed Benaissa.

The court also ordered Mechbal to pay a $2,000 fine and a $10,000 compensation to the plaintiff. Mechbal was banned from practicing journalism for one year.

This is the second trial of the kind in less than a week.

On Wednesday, a court in Casablanca sentenced Mustapha Alaoui, director of the weekly Al-Ousboue (the week) to three months in jail, a $2,000 fine, a $100,000 compensation to the minister and was banned from practicing journalism for three years.

The two journalists were tried for defaming foreign affairs and cooperation minister, Mohamed Benaissa.

"Al Ousboue" director announced he will appeal the "harsh" sentence that he called "a serious threat to journalists."

For Benaissa, the sentence is a means to "clear the Moroccan media from some aberrations that unjustly undermine people's honor and citizens' rights."