The Moroccan Interior Ministry accused, Wednesday, March 24 in the evening, the Franco-Moroccan historian Maati Monjib of "
undermining the image of the kingdom in terms of human rights
" with "
irresponsible statements
" made upon release from prison.
Read also: Morocco: historian Maati Monjib sentenced to one year in prison
"
These abject maneuvers will not dissuade state institutions from pursuing the correct and firm application of legal provisions against all those who believe they benefit from legal immunity for the simple fact that they hold dual nationality.
", Warned the ministry in a press release.
Jailed for three months on charges of fraud, the human rights defender was provisionally released Tuesday, March 23 by decision of the investigating judge, after 19 days of hunger strike.
On his release from prison, the intellectual known for his open criticism of the government affirmed that his arrest was linked to a recent article entitled "
the secret infrastructure which threatens the security of Moroccans
" in which he mentioned in particular "
the state parallel
”which“
targets
”militants in Morocco.
"
The accusations against me are fabricated by the political police now that I enjoy provisional freedom, I will campaign for the release of other detainees
", said the sixty-year-old, visibly emaciated but still combative.
The Interior Ministry "
categorically refuted
" these "
biased allegations
" in its
press
release.
Monjib "
undermined the institutions of the State
", by evoking "
in bad faith and far from the reality of concepts such as" political police "," political security "and" the existence of a secret structure threatening the security of Moroccans "
", says this text.
The words of the historian were widely shared on social networks and his release was greeted by his supporters in Morocco and abroad: the NGO Human Rights Watch called in particular to "
remain vigilant, because it is not not finished
”, while RSF demanded“
the abandonment of all unfair prosecutions launched against journalists in Morocco
”.
Monjib, 60, was arrested at the end of December as part of a preliminary investigation for “
money laundering
”, an “
abusive
”
arrest
, according to him.
