HIBAPRESS – Abdel Latif Barka
The Agadir Court of Appeal, at the beginning of this week, upheld the initial ruling sentencing a businessman from the Souss region to one year of effective imprisonment, in connection with a case involving defamation via electronic media, in addition to acts related to insulting a legally constituted body and judicial officials.
The Court of First Instance in Inezgane had sentenced the accused to one year of effective imprisonment and a fine of 5,000 dirhams, within the framework of a clear-cut misdemeanor case, obligating him to pay 40,000 dirhams in civil compensation to the complainant and to bear the judicial expenses. The case dates back to a complaint filed by a woman regarding what was stated in the file, a defamation campaign targeting her private life and reputation through digital platforms, supported by audio recordings, video clips, and other data that underwent judicial investigation.
The appellate confirmation of the ruling underscores the continuation of the judicial process for the case, at a time when defamation cases via digital media raise increasing issues related to the protection of private life and reputation, as well as the legal responsibility arising from content published on online platforms.
