Morocco: Environmental journalist jailed for two years
Published: April 9, 2010
English PEN protests the two-year prison sentence handed to journalist and environmental activist Mohammed Attaoui in Atlas region on 22 March 2010. Although charged with extortion, it is feared that Attaoui has been targeted for his critical writings on environmental matters, in particular a recent exposé of cedar wood trafficking in the Midelt region. He is currently on hunger strike in prison. English PEN is calling for Attaoui's immediate and unconditional release.
The following is an alert issued by Reporters Without Borders (RSF) on 7 April 2010:
Mohammed Attaoui, a correspondent for the Arabic daily "Al-Monataf", president of a local environmental NGO and an employee with the rural municipality of Tounfite, was sentenced on 22 March 2010 to two years in prison by a court in Midelt, in the eastern Atlas region, southeast of Rabat. He was officially charged with extorting 1,000 dirhams (approx. 90 euros), though his arrest appears to be part of a set up, says RSF.
Attaoui began a hunger strike on 29 March to protest the sentence and demand a fair trial. He is also calling for an investigation into what he calls his "kidnapping" by national guard officers.
Attaoui was arrested on 8 March, shortly after an article he wrote exposing a "cedar mafia" was published in the Arabic-language daily "Al-Monataf" on 16 February. A press release issued by his organisation on 16 January also denounced the illegal trafficking of the wood. The organisation has launched a civil suit against the leaders of the groups named by Attaoui in his exposés.
Attaoui's organisation, the Association for the Preservation of Cedar and Bighorn Sheep, was founded in 2006. The organisation holds seminars and issues press releases "to expose and educate the public about the plundering of our rich cedar resources," Attaoui told RSF from his prison in Midelt.
In his recent articles, the journalist and activist describes in great detail the illegal trafficking of the heritage wood by community leaders in the Midelt region, aided by national forest rangers. Cedar wood is a protected species in Morocco.
Attaoui maintains he was set up by a forestry ministry official who tipped him off to the trafficking. "I mentioned to him that I was in a difficult financial situation and that I did not know if I would be able to afford to travel to Rabat or Meknès for an oral exam I needed to take as part of a promotion I was applying for within the municipality. He gave me 1,000 dirhams to pay for the ticket. Two hours later, national guard officers came to arrest me."
Attaoui says he intends to appeal his conviction. He is scheduled to be transferred to Meknès prison on either the 1st or 5th of April. He will be informed of the date of his appeal once he is transferred.
(For the original article, please click here)
Please send appeals (preferably in French):
• Protesting the two-year prison sentence handed to journalist and environmental activist Mohammed Attaoui in Atlas region on 22 March 2010 after he wrote an exposé of cedar wood trafficking in the Medelt region;
• Pointing out that Attaoui's conviction would appear to be in violation of his right to freedom of expression protected under international human rights treaties to which Morocco is a party, including the United Nations International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the African Charter on Human and People's Rights;
• Calling for Attaoui's immediate and unconditional release.
Appeals to:
Prime Minister
Abbas El Fassi
Département du Premier Ministre
Palais Royal
Touarga
Rabat, Morocco
Fax: 212 5377 69995
Email: courier@pm.gov.ma
Salutation: Your Excellency
Minister of Justice
His Excellency Abdelwahed Radi
Ministry of Justice
Place Mamounia, Rabat
Maroc/Morocco
Fax: 212 537 72 37 10 or 212 537 73 07 72 or 212 537 73 47 25
Salutation: Your Excellency
Please send copies of your appeal letters to the diplomatic representative for Morocco asking for their comments:
H.H. Princess Lalla Joumala Alaoui
Embassy of the Kingdom of Morocco
49 Queens Gate Gardens
London
SW7 5 NE
Fax: 0207 225 3862
E-mail : dejean_paulette@yahoo.fr
E-mail : fattouma.london@maec.gov.ma
E-mail : mor.embpa@yahoo.co.uk
Please do let us know if you send a letter of appeal and certainly if you should receive a response by emailing writersinprison@englishpen.org.
Please check with International PEN's Americas researcher, Tamsin Mitchell, if sending appeals after 9 June 2010.