Keywords: Freedom of Expression


Guillaume Meurice dismissal case headed for new labor court hearing

The legal battle surrounding the dismissal of French comedian Guillaume Meurice is set to continue, after labor court judges failed to reach a unanimous decision on the case. As a result, a new hearing will be held, with a professional judge expected to break the deadlock. Meurice, a former regular......

Rapper Pause Flow sentenced to a suspended three-month prison term

The Court of First Instance in Sefrou has sentenced Moroccan rapper Pause Flow to three months in prison with a suspended sentence, along with a fine of 2,000 dirhams. The ruling brings an end to a case that has drawn wide attention in artistic and human rights circles. Pause Flow, whose real name is......

Algeria intensifies repression of journalists over sensitive Sahara and border issues

Algeria’s government is escalating its crackdown on journalists and activists who address politically sensitive topics, such as the Eastern Sahara dispute and Algeria-Morocco relations. The latest case involves the detention of journalist Saad Bouakba, who was placed in pre-trial detention this......

Boualem Sansal returns to France after pardon from Algerian prison

French-Algerian writer Boualem Sansal has returned to France following his release from an Algerian prison, a week after being pardoned by the Algerian government. The 81-year-old novelist briefly stayed in Germany after his release last Wednesday before making his way back to France, according to his......

Release order issued for leman cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan

A Turkish court has ordered the release of Leman magazine cartoonist Doğan Pehlevan, who had been in pre-trial detention for nearly four and a half months. The decision concerns the case in which he was charged with “insulting the President”, a crime that carries a sentence of up to four......

Moroccan court upholds prison sentence against activist Ibtissame Lachgar for “offending Islam”

A Moroccan appeals court in Rabat has upheld the two-and-a-half-year prison sentence handed down to feminist activist Ibtissame Lachgar for “offending Islam.” The verdict confirms the ruling issued in early September, according to an AFP journalist present in the courtroom. Lachgar, 50,......

Casablanca court sentences activist Saida El Alami to three years in prison

The Court of First Instance in Casablanca has sentenced Moroccan blogger and human rights activist Saida El Alami to three years in prison and fined her MAD 20,000 ($2,000). The verdict, handed down on Tuesday, follows charges of “insulting a legally constituted organization,” “spreading......

Moroccan feminist Ibtissam Lachgar sentenced to two and a half years in prison

Rabat, Morocco – A Rabat court on Wednesday sentenced feminist activist Ibtissam Lachgar to two and a half years in prison and fined her 50,000 dirhams in a case related to the publication of a photograph deemed offensive to religion. The verdict was delivered by the Rabat Court of Appeal. Lachgar,......

Enrico Macias concert banned in Turkey over support for Israel

Turkish authorities announced on Wednesday the cancellation of a concert by French singer Enrico Macias scheduled for Friday in Istanbul, following calls to protest against the artist due to his pro-Israel positions. The Istanbul Governorate stated in a press release that the decision aimed to prevent......