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Morocco: Woman sentenced to prison for Facebook post deemed ‘insulting’ to Islam

A Moroccan sentenced to imprisonment two years for “undermining the Muslim religion” due to a post he made on facebook and was deemed “offensive” for the Islamas her brother told Agence France-Presse (AFP).

The 39-year-old Fatima Karim she was questioned by police on July 15 and has been in custody since then, her brother said. She was brought before a court for commenting in a satirical style, in Arabic, on her personal Facebook page, verses from the Koran and the sermon of the Prophet Muhammad.

Karim, who intends to appeal, she invoked her right to freedom of expression guaranteed by the Moroccan Constitution, her brother told AFP. According to him, his sister asked him publicly “apologies to anyone who was offended” of her posts, stressing that she never intended to undermine Islam.

The Court of First Instance of Oued Zem, 150 kilometers from Casablanca, found her guilty last Monday (15/8) and imposed a two-year prison sentence. “The verdict is very harsh. It takes us back many years,” commented her brother.

Article 267-5 of Morocco’s penal code, under which Fatima Karim was convicted, provides for a prison sentence of six months to two years for anyone who “undermines the Muslim religion.” The sentence may increase to five years in prison if the offense is committed in public, “including by electronic means.” The same article also provides for severe punishment for “attacking the monarchical regime” and “incitement to undermine the territorial integrity” of the kingdom.

Organizations for the defense of human rights have denounced the specific article, pointing out that the wording “does not specifically define” what could be characterized as “undermining”.

In June 2021, an Italian-Moroccan woman was sentenced to 3.5 years in prison by a Moroccan court for “undermining the Muslim religion” for posting satirical phrases imitating verses from the Koran on Facebook. However, the girl was released shortly after, after – on appeal – her sentence was changed to a two-month suspended prison term, following a protest campaign by human rights organisations.

Source: News Beast

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