HIBAPRESS – Mohammed Al-Harwali
The French tourist who documented the incident of being asked for 200 dirhams for a limited quantity of dried fruits in Marrakech's Jemaa el-Fna square has spoken out again about the case, following the judicial verdict against the vendor and the widespread circulation of the case details.
In a new video recording posted on his social media accounts, the tourist addressed the outcome of the case, emphasizing that he did not expect things to escalate to a custodial sentence for the vendor, who received a sentence of 10 months in prison.
The speaker expressed his astonishment at the sentence, describing it as "very harsh," and stressed that his initial video posting was not intended to lead to the vendor's imprisonment or cause him this outcome.
The tourist confirmed that he does not feel proud of how the case ended, explaining that the purpose of posting the video was to draw attention to what he described as pricing practices faced by some tourists in Marrakech, not to demand the vendor be punished in this manner.
The incident began when the tourist used his phone to record the sale of a quantity of dried fruits, which he said did not exceed about 50 grams, for 200 dirhams. The video then went viral on social media platforms, becoming a topic of discussion regarding how some service providers and vendors interact with tourists.
The tourist believes that the spread of the case opened a broader discussion about the image of Marrakech, particularly Jemaa el-Fna square, as one of the main tourist attractions. He considers that such incidents can affect the impression a visitor holds of the city.
He concluded by expressing his hope that his next visit to Marrakech will be different, and that he will encounter more reasonable prices, after a simple incident that started with the price of dried fruits ended up in court.
According to the information circulating about the case, the Marrakech Court of First Instance sentenced the vendor to 10 months in prison, in addition to closing his shop, after the case erupted following the video's spread on social media.
