Morocco jails cartoonist Yasser Mounbir over caricatures of King Mohammed VI
Morocco jails cartoonist over caricatures of king
Rabat, Morocco recently sentenced a young cartoonist, Yasser Mounbir, to four years in prison and a fine of 40,000 dirhams for insulting King Mohammed VI through his caricatures posted on Instagram. Mounbir, 22, was arrested in June for the offense, which is punishable under Article 179 of the Moroccan Penal Code, carrying prison terms ranging from six months to two years, with the penalty doubled for electronic offenses.
The Moroccan Association for Human Rights had petitioned for his release. The court convicted Mounbir of insulting the king and insulting public officials. His defense team plans to file an appeal. Rights advocates in Morocco have long called for an end to laws they view as restrictive of freedom of speech, and for the pardoning of individuals convicted over social media posts.
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