Morocco upholds sentences against Hirak protesters

CASABLANCA, Morocco: Dozens of activists linked to the Hirak protest movement that rocked northern Morocco in 2016 and 2017 had prison sentences of up to 20 years upheld by a court of appeal on Friday.

The ruling against the 42 protesters in the western city of Casablanca was met with cries of ‘corrupt state' from relatives.

The Al-Hirak al-Shaabi, or ‘Popular Movement', protests took hold in the country's marginalised Rif region in October 2016.

The social unrest was sparked by the death of a fisherman and escalated into a wave of demonstrations demanding more development in the neglected region and railing against corruption and unemployment.

Authorities accused the activists of having separatist aims.

The sentences were first handed down in June last year, prompting further demonstrations calling for the group's release, backed by human rights organisation such as Amnesty and Human Rights Watch.

“There is no hope ... this trial has been unfair since the start and that is how it has ended,” said defence lawyer Souad Brahma.

The movement's leader Nasser Zefzafi and three others received prison terms of 20 years for threatening the security of the state.

Other sentences also confirmed on appeal ranged from one to 15 years. Eleven others were pardoned last year by King Mohammed VI.

Zefzafi, 39, emerged as the face of the movement as a result of his rallying speeches, accusing the authorities of corruption.

The 2016 and 2017 protests led to clashes between police and demonstrators, leaving people injured on both sides. — AFP