The defense team of Moroccan journalist Soulaimane Raissouni reiterated the defendant’s innocence, denouncing all charges attributed to him by the Moroccan judicial system.
Miloud Kandil, a member of Raissouni’s defense team, said that they are absolutely certain of Raissouni’s innocence, “and if it wasn’t for this certainty, they would not have been in the defense before the Court of Appeal in Casablanca.”
Regarding the politicization of the case, Kandil confirmed in his statement following the trial this Monday, January 17, that “the court is not authorized to speak on that aspect, but other institutions in the country have exacerbated that debate.”
The Casablanca Court of Appeals heard the journalist’s case, who was convicted with “indecent sexual assault” on a young man.
Raissouni pleaded to the court, going back to his arrest, insisting that he had been arrested in a way that seems more like kidnapping.
Activists and NGOs in Morocco have called it “an arbitrary arrest, demonstrating an abuse of power,” which Raissouni echoed in his plea, and complained of a severe “defamation campaign by the press.”
On the other hand, the court also listened to the statements of the young complainant against Raissouni, saying he had been subjected to assault from Raissouni in a time he least expected it, as both were friends.
Raissouni refused to answer some questions pertaining to the assault, with his defense team assuring that “his refusal is legal and is related to his personal rights.”
After four hours of pleadings, the Casablanca Court of Appeal decided to postpone the hearing of the appeal trial until January 31, 2022, with the possibility of calling witnesses if developments warrant it.
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