A French comedian, in preventive detention for a week, will be tried Wednesday in Morocco for posting a video deemed insulting on social networks, a lawyer who is monitoring the case told AFP on Tuesday.
Brahim Bouhlel and an influencer known under the pseudonym "Zbarbooking" are being prosecuted for "broadcasting a video of a person without their consent" and "hijacking a minor" (offenses punishable by penalties of up to five years in prison according to the Moroccan Penal Code), said Mourad Elajouti, who was responsible for reporting the video to the prosecution.
VIDEO.
Outrage in Morocco after the broadcast of a "parody" video of actor Brahim Bouhlel
In this video that has gone viral, Brahim Bouhlel, seated in a restaurant in Marrakech alongside "Zbarbooking" and French actor Hedi Bouchenafa, films three minors uttering insults, which aroused indignation on social networks.
"My only intention was to make people laugh"
Faced with the controversy, the three men apologized, arguing that it was a "parody" video.
"My only intention as an actor was to make people laugh and not to offend the sensitivity of anyone," says Brahim Bouhlel in a post on Instagram.
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A post shared by Bouhlel Brahim (@brvhym)
“The words I have made do not reflect the reality or my perception of the Kingdom.
They are only part of a parody, which is undoubtedly failed in its effects, ”he continues.
"The remarks made in the video shocked everyone and cannot be qualified as a humorous parody", commented Mourad Elajouti.
Hedi Bouchenafa left Moroccan territory before the opening of the investigation.
Brahim Bouhlel is known to have played in "Validé", a successful series on French rap.